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HOUSE  DECORATION 
StRII-< 


GUY 
CADOGAN 

ROTHERY 


OmV.  OF  CALIF.  LIBRARY.  LOS  ANGBtiaB 


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ARCHITECTURE  AND 

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CHIMNEYPIECES  AND   INGLE  NOOKS 


THE    HOUSE    DECORATION 
SERIES 

Ceilings  and  their  Decorations 
Chimneypieces  and  Ingle-nooks 
Staircases  and  Garden  Steps 
House  Antiquities  and  Curios 
Porches 
Windows 


CHIMNEYPIECES  AND 
INGLE  NOOKS 

THEIR  DESIGN  AND  ORNAMENTATION 


By 
GUY   CADOGAN    ROTHERY 

AUTHOR  OF 
"CEILINGS  AND  THEIR  DECORATIONS" 


NEW  YORK 

FREDERICK  A.  STOKES  COMPANY 

PUBLISHERS 


"  Ceilings  and  Their  Decoration  "  is  valuable  not  only  because  it 
deals  with  a  subject  of  considerable  interest,  but  also  because,  in 
treating  of  the  various  styles  ...  it  helps  us  to  realise  the  inherent 
defects  of  certain  modern  methods  which  we  are  apt  to  idly  acquiesce 
in.  .  ,  .  (a)  Should  appeal  to  all  householders  .  .  .  He  supplies  a 
terse  but  admirable  and  in  every  way  adequate  description  of  the 
history  of  his  subject  .  .  .  (6)  ...  Related  in  a  fluent  and  agreeable 
manner  suflSciently  technical  to  be  of  practical  use  to  the  student  .  .  . 
and  yet  not  too  detailed  to  bore  the  general  reader  .  .  ,  (c)  Mr 
Rothery  is  a  master  of  his  subject  .  .  .  the  book  makes  its  first  appeal 
to  the  artist  and  architect  .  .  .  treated  from  an  original  point  of  view 
.  .  .  with  criticism  which  is  essentially  stimulating,  {d)  The  name 
of  Mr  Rothery  will  be  familiar  to  many  of  our  readers  and  .  .  . 
they  will  be  aware  how  thoroughly  he  gathers  his  facts  and  how  ably 
he  presents  them,  {e)  May  be  very  warmly  recommended  to  students 
of  arch  ecture  and  to  all  who  are  interested  in  the  house  beautiful.  (/) 

(a)  Morning  Post.  {d)  The  Field. 

(A)  Bookman.  (e)  The  Decorator. 

(c)  Scotiman.  (/)  Aberdeen  Free  Press. 


Arch/Urb  Plan 
library 

30^0 
1^1  ^c 


PREFACE. 

The  decided  revival  in  the  interest  taken 
in  designing  and  decorating  chimneypieces 
makes  it  desirable  that  we  should  review 
the  whole  subject. 

In  writing  this  book  the  aim  has  been  to 
trace  the  development  of  the  fireplace  and 
what  we  may  call  its  facade,  and  to  point 
out  the  chief  features  characterising  suc- 
cessive periods  and  different  countries.  It 
will  be  seen  that  in  Northern  Europe  the 
fireplace  has  been,  at  least  since  the  12th 
century,  a  fairly  good  index  of  the  genuine 
art  appreciations  of  the  age  in  which  they 
were  built  and  beautified. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAP. 
I. 

II. 

III. 

IV. 


VI. 

VII. 

VIII. 

IX. 

X. 

XI. 

XII. 

XIII. 

XIV. 


BEGINNINGS    AND    EARLY   DEVELOP- 
MENTS       

ROMANESQUE     AND     EARLY    GOTHIC 
EXAMPLES         .... 

THE  MIDDLE  GOTHIC  . 

LATER  GOTHIC  AND  EARLY  RENAISS 
ANCE 

HUMAN    FIGURES     IN     GOTHIC     AND 
RENAISSANCE  WORK 

THE  TUDOR  PERIOD     . 

THE  JACOBEAN     .... 

LATER  RENAISSANCE  . 

NEO-CLASSIC         .... 

THE  NINETEENTH  CENTURY 

CURRENT  PRACTICE     . 

THE  "  INGLE-NOOK  "    . 

NOTES  ON  FIREPLACE  FURNITURE 

THE  STOVE 

BIBLIOGRAPHY     .... 

INDEX 


17 
30 

45 
69 

105 

113 
132 

139 
150 
181 
208 
219 
227 

233 


Vll 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 

Design  attributed  to  Grinling  Gibbons,  for 
Hampton  Court  Palace.  (In  Soane 
Museum) Frontispiece 

Stone  and  Bricl<  Chimneypiece,  from 
Prittlewell.  English  15  th  Century. 
(Victoria  and  Albert  Museum)  .     .     Page    4 

Florentine  Stone  {pietra  serend)  Chimney- 
piece,  15th  Century.  (Victoria  and 
Albert  Museum) „     10 

Italian  Carved  Stone  Work,  15th  Century. 

(Victoria  and  Albert  Museum)       .     .     „     16 

Romanesque  Stone  Chimneypiece,  Conis- 

borough  Castle ,,19 

Italian  Carved  Stone  Chimneypiece,  early 
i6th  Century,  with  fire-dogs.  (Victoria 
and  Albert  Museum) ,,20 

Romanesque  Stone  Chimneypiece,  Cashel     „    23 

Carved  Stone  Italian  Chimneypiece,  early 
1 6th  Century.  (Victoria  and  Albert 
Museum) ,,28 

Flemish  Coloured  Marble  Chimneypiece, 
from  Antwerp,  i6th  Century.  (Victoria 

and  Albert  Museum) »     34 

ix 


X  LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

Gothic     Hooded    Chimneypiece,    Cascina 

Mirabello,  Milan       Page  40 

Early  Renaissance  Chimneypiece  from  the 
Palais  de  Justice,  Bruges.  (Model  in 
Victoria  and  Albert  Museum)    .    .     .     „    46 

English  17th  Century  Chimneypiece,  from 
Old  Palace,  Bromley  -  by  -  Bow. 
(Victoria  and  Albert  Museum)      .     .     „     52 

Tudor  Renaissance  Work,  Weston   Hall, 

Warwickshire ,,58 

English  17th  Century  Work,  Holland 
House,  Kensington.  (From  C.  J. 
Richardson) ,64 

Tudor  Carved  Chimneypiece,  Combe 
Abbey,  Warwickshire.  (From  C.  J. 
Richardson) »     70 

English   17th  Century  Panel  Work,  from 

Great  Yarmouth       ^,     1^ 

Tudor  Carved  Chimneypiece,  with  fire- 
dogs,  from  Loseley,  near  Guildford    .     „     84 

Strapwork   and    Heraldry,   in    the  Great 

Hall,  Haddon  Hall,  Derbyshire     .     .     „     92 

English  Late  Renaissance  Enamelled 
Chimneypiece,  from  Governor's  Par- 
lour, Charterhouse.  Detail  of  lower 
panel  of  overmantel ,,98 

English  17th  Century  Carved  Stone 
Chimneypiece,  from  Norwich.  French 
18th  Century  Marble  and  Ormolu 
Chimneypiece,      with      carvings     by 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS  xi 

Clodion,  and  embossed  iron  fireplace 
lining.  (Victoria  and  Albert  Museum)  Page  io6 

Designs    for    "  Continued "    Architectural 

Chimneypieces,  by  Inigo  Jones      .     .     ,,114 

Designs    for    "  Continued "    Architectural 

Fireplaces,  by  William  Kent      .     .     ,,122 

Designs  by  Grinling  Gibbons  for  Hampton 

Court  Palace.    (Soane  Museum)    .     .     ,,128 

Designs    of   Grecian    Chimneypieces,    by 

Robert  Adam.    (Soane  Museum)^ .     „  1 36 

Design  for  Chimneypiece  and  Fire-Grate, 
by  Robert  Adam.  Design  for  Neo- 
Classic  Chimneypiece,  by  Sir  William 
Chambers.  (Soane  Museum)      .    .     .     ,,144 

Design  for  Grecian  Chimneypiece,  by 
Robert  Adam.  Design  for  Neo- 
Classic  Chimneypiece,  by  Sir  William 
Chambers.    (Soane  Museum)    .     .     .     ,,152 

Design  for  Withdrawing  Room,  Mansion 
House,  London,  by  Dance.  (Soane 
Museum) „  160 

Turkish  Faience  Chimneypiece,  from  Con- 
stantinople, 1 8th  Century.  (Victoria 
and  Albert  Museum)    ..,...„  164 

Field-Stone  Cottage  Fireplace,  American 

Design „  167 

Brick  and  Field-Stone  Fireplace,  American 

Design ,,169 


xa         LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

Brick  and  Woodwork  Chimneypiece,  with 
Iron  Fire-Back,  by  Mr  Cecil  Burns,  in 
Tunbridge  Wells  and  County  Club  Page  172 

Brick  Fireplace  on  Landing,  by  Mr  A. 
Winter  Rose.  (Photo  from  "The 
Modern  Building  Record ")  .    .     .     .     ,,172 

Brick  Angle  Fireplace,  by  Mr  A.  Winter 
Rose.  (Photo  from  "The  Modern 
Building  Record  ") ,,178 

Ingle-nook,   Hengrove,   by   Mr   P.   Morley 
Horder.    (Photo  from  "The  Modern 
Building  Record  ") ,,182 

Ingle-nook,  Marrowells,  by  Mr  A.  Winter 
Rose.  (Photo  from  "The  Modern 
Building  Record  ") ,,190 

Kentish  Cottage  Brick  Ingle-nook,  with 
Sussex  iron  fire-back,  by  W.  A. 
Forsyth ,,198 

Monumental  Chimneypiece,  Dorchester 
House,  Mayfair,  by  Alfred  Stevens. 
(Original  model,  Victoria  and  Albert 
Museum) ,204 

Old  Sussex  Andiron ,,210 

Armorial  Sussex  Fire-back ,,212 

Sussex  Fire-back,  from  Sutton  Hurst  .     .     ,,213 

German  Stove  in  Faience.    (Victoria  and 

Albert  Museum) ^^  220 


CHIMNEYPIECES  AND  INGLE 
NOOKS 

CHAPTER  I. 

BEGINNINGS  AND   EARLY   DEVELOPMENTS. 

So  much  romance  attaches  to  the  phrase 
"  hearth  and  home,"  so  deep  is  the  sentiment 
connected  with  it  and  all  that  it  conjures  up 
to  the  imagination,  that  it  is  extremely 
difficult  to  realize  how  new  are  those  things 
known  to  us  as  fireplaces  and  chimney- 
pieces.  We  are  apt  to  take  them  very  much 
for  granted,  and  regard  them  as  coeval  with 
the  dawn  of  civilization  in  northern  climes. 
They  appear  to  us  so  necessary,  such  a 
natural  outcome  of  structural  design.  Yet 
the  truth  is,  they  possess  no  great  antiquity, 
as  antiquity  is  measured  by  the  long  strides 
of  human  progress. 

It  is  doubtful  whether  either  the  Greeks 
or  Romans — in  spite  of  the  fact  that  their 
dwellings  were  often  large,  elaborately 
planned,  and  provided  with  many  luxuries 


2  CHIMNEYPIECES 

of  the  utilitarian  and  the  purely  artistic  kinds 
— had  even  rudimentary  chimneys  in  their 
houses  until  quite  a  late  period.  Such 
remains  of  buildings  as  have  come  down 
to  us  outside  of  Pompeii,  afford  no  evidence 
of  their  use,  and  no  direct  evidence  is  to  be 
gathered  from  contemporary  writers.  Pal- 
ladio  certainly  mentions  two  ancient  fire- 
places, one  at  Baiae  and  the  other  near  Civita 
Vecchia.  He  describes  them  as  standing  in 
the  middle  of  the  rooms,  columns  supporting 
architraves,  whereon  were  placed  the  pyra- 
mids or  funnels  through  which  the  smoke 
was  conveyed  away.  It  is  true  frequent 
mention  of  fire  and  smoke  is  made  by  both 
Greek  and  Roman  authors  when  referring  to 
home  life,  but  always  in  a  somewhat  vague 
way.  Homer  makes  Ulysses,  when  in 
Calypso's  grotto,  express  the  fervent  desire 
that  he  might  see  the  smoke  ascending  from 
Ithaca;  in  other  words,  he  was  home-sick, 
and  longed  for  the  family  hearth.  But 
although  there  can  be  no  smoke  without  a 
fire,  there  can  be  both  smoke  and  flame 
without  a  fireplace  or  chimney.  Indeed, 
in  most  cases  poets  and  prose  writers  alike 
refer  to  the  nuisance  of  smoke  and  the  in- 
convenience of  the  resulting  soot ;  it  is  only 


EARLY  DEVELOPMENTS  3 

in  a  secondary  sense  that  smoke  stands  as 
the  emblem  of  home.  Putting  aside  those 
writers  chiefly  concerned  with  history,  cus- 
toms, and  manners,  we  may  go,  as  more 
germane  to  our  present  inquiry,  straight  to  a 
technical  authority. 

Now,  we  find  Vitruvius  in  his  chapter  on 
**  Stucco  "  saying  : — 

"  Some  cornices  are  of  plain,  others  of 
carved  work.  In  small  private  rooms,  or 
where  fire  or  many  lights  are  used,  they 
should  be  plain,  to  allow  of  being  more 
easily  cleaned ;  in  summer  rooms  and  ex- 
cedra,  where  the  smoke  is  in  such  small 
quantity  that  it  can  do  no  injury,  carved 
cornices  may  be  used ;  for  white  works,  from 
the  delicacy  of  their  colour,  are  always 
soiled,  not  only  with  the  smoke  of  the  house 
itself,  but  also  with  that  of  the  neighbouring 
buildings."  In  another  chapter,  while  still 
on  the  topic  of  decoration,  he  adds  : — 

•'  In  winter  triclinia,  neither  large  pictures 
nor  delicate  ornaments  in  the  cornice,  under 
the  vault,  are  to  be  introduced,  because  they 
are  soon  injured  by  the  smoke  of  the  fire 
and  of  the  quantity  of  lights  used  therein." 

Clearly  all  this,  from  the  pen  of  a  master 
builder,    points    to    the    non-existence    oi 


4  CHIMNEYPIECES 

chimneys.  We  are  face  to  face  with  a 
system  of  heating  very  deficient,  one  creat- 
ing smoke  and  dependent  on  the  hypaethral 
opening  in  the  roof,  or  on  the  doors  and 
windows  for  its  escape.  He  held  that  fires 
for  the  purpose  of  warming  apartments  must 
of  necessity  destroy  decorations.  Vitruvius, 
who,  it  must  be  remembered,  wrote  as  late 
as  the  first  century  of  our  era,  is  so  minute 
in  his  instructions  to  builders  that  it  is  in- 
conceivable that  he  should  have  omitted  to 
mention  fireplaces  and  chimneys  had  any 
been  in  common  use  in  his  days.  This 
seems  conclusive  enough,  but  we  may  go 
further. 

Much  of  our  knowledge  of  the  general  life 
of  Greece  and  Rome,  or  at  all  events,  of  its 
interesting  details,  is  derived  from  a  close 
study  of  contemporary  pictures.  These  are 
mostly  painted  on  pottery,  specimens  of 
which  exist  from  the  archaic  to  the  latest 
periods.  We  have  also  mural  paintings  and 
some  mosaics,  these  belonging  to  the  age  of 
Imperial  luxury.  Taken  altogether,  these 
afford  at  once  a  valuable  and  an  abundant 
source  of  information,  particularly  so  as 
regards  the  pottery,  a  great  deal  of  which 
was  made  to  supply  the  everyday  wants  of 


15th  Century  Chimneypiece  from   Prittlewell. 


EARLY  DEVELOPMENTS  5 

households,  and  was  naturally  adorned  with  a 
heterogeneous  gallery  of  pictures,  now  touch- 
ing upon  great  events — the  doings  of  gods, 
demi-gods,  and  heroes — anon  condescending 
to  record  the  most  trivial  of  domestic  affairs. 
Details  that  were  far  too  familiar  for  writers 
to  note  have  come  down  to  us,  thanks  to 
the  graphic  touches  of  the  humble  painter. 
It  is  therefore  very  significant  that  both 
pottery  designs  and  mural  paintings  are 
scanned  in  vain  for  any  representation  of  the 
fireplace  as  we  understand  the  term,  or  any 
sign  of  a  chimney.  On  the  other  hand, 
we  are  given  plenty  of  pictures  showing  fires 
alight  in  the  open,  being  used  for  purposes 
of  religious  ceremonial,  military  routine,  or 
that  most  important  domestic  duty,  cooking. 
We  also  see  brasiers,  or  foculi,  introduced 
into  the  home  circle,  these  great  dishes, 
filled  with  embers  or  flaming  wood,  resting 
on  their  lower  rim  or  standing  on  tall  feet, 
and  forming  the  centre  of  groups  intent 
on  gossip  or  culinary  efforts. 

Brasiers  are,  of  course,  essentially  a  device 
of  a  chimneyless  people,  invented  to  mitigate 
the  inconvenience  of  smoke  in  more  or  less 
close  confined  apartments,  and  to  overcome 
the  impossibility  of  having  open  hearths  in 


6  CHIMNEYPIECES 

luxuriously  equipped    rooms.      They   were 
used  mainly  for  bringing  glowing  embers 
from  great  wood  fires  kindled  outside,  in  the 
courtyards   or   kitchens,   and    subsequendy 
were  replenished  with  prepared  charcoal,  the 
ligna  coda  or  coctilia  of  the  Latins.     This 
was  a  means  of  warming  that  commended 
itself  to  a  people  dwelling  in  countries  blessed 
with  ardent  summers,  genial  springs  and  hot 
autumns,  where  the  winters  were  short-lived 
inconveniences.     The  use   of  brasiers  per- 
sisted   long    in   many   lands.      They   were 
common  in  Greece  up  to  the  i8th  century, 
were  retained  even  longer  in  Italy,  practi- 
cally over  the  whole  of  Spain  and  much  of 
France.      In   most  of  these   countries   the 
open  brasier  prevailed.     We  read  of  Antonio 
Magliabecchi,  the  famous   librarian   of  the 
Grand  Duke  of  Tuscany,  that  he  used  to 
move  about  among  his  books  with  a  kind  of 
warming  pan  attached  to  his  arms,  so  that 
he  might  warm  his  hands  during  the  cold 
days  of  a  Florentine  winter.     Paintings  by 
the  great  Spanish  masters  give  us  a  good 
idea  of  the  large,  ornate  brass  dishes,  on  low 
legs,  full  of  live  coals,  so  commonly  used 
even  in  the  richly  upholstered  and  carpeted 
palaces.     France,  where  the  Emperor  Julian 


EARLY  DEVELOPMENTS  7 

was  nearly  poisoned  as  the  result  of  burning 
coals  being  brought  into  his  Parisian  winter 
quarters,  was  up  to  comparatively  recently 
the  land  of  the  chauffrettCy  or  closed -in 
brasier,  the  foot  warmer. 

From  the  same  rich  sources  of  painted 
pottery  and  walls  we  also  gather  some  fairly 
comprehensible  details  concerning  the  hypo- 
cmtsta,  or  hot  air  basement  stove,  used  both 
in  public  baths  and  in  private  houses, 
wherefrom  one  or  two  rooms,  even  a  whole 
house,  could  be  warmed.  Authors  are  also 
definite  enough  upon  this  method.  The 
hypocausta  was  a  stove  placed  in  the  base- 
ment of  a  building,  and  was  connected  with 
one  or  several  chambers  above  by  means  of 
channels  in  the  thickness  of  the  walls,  and 
intended  to  convey  hot  air,  from  which 
smoke  itself  could  not  always  be  excluded. 
According  to  Seneca,  these  channels  opened 
into  chambers  by  way  of  a  lion's  or  a 
dolphin's  head,  whose  gaping  mouth  could 
be  closed  by  means  of  a  trap.  In  this  way 
hot  air  was  admitted  or  excluded  as  desired. 
It  is  to  be  observed  that  these  channels  do 
not  appear  to  have  been  carried  upon  a  level 
with  or  above  the  roof  in  order  to  emit 
smoke  after  the  gases  had  stored  their  heat 


S  CHIMNEYPIECES 

in  the  brick  conduit.  The  idea  was  rather 
to  conserve  heat  to  the  fullest  extent,  so 
that,  when  the  chamber  outlets  were  closed, 
the  tubes  began  and  ended  in  the  stove. 
Of  course  smoke  must  have  escaped  into  the 
apartments,  and  may  be  one  of  the  reasons 
for  Vitruvius's  cautions.  No  doubt  by  care- 
ful choice  of  fuel,  wood  soaked  in  water  and 
then  dried,  dressed  with  oil  lees,  or  the  use 
of  codilia,  or  again  by  keeping  a  brisk  fire 
with  closed  traps  until  the  brickwork  was 
hot  and  the  fuel  reduced  to  embers,  the 
smoke  nuisance  may  have  been  considerably 
mitigated.  Horace  seems  to  draw  a  dis- 
tinction between  the  warming  of  houses  of 
the  well-to-do  and  the  makeshift  expedients 
adopted  in  wayside  inns,  which  brought 
water  to  his  eyes.  The  hypocausta  was 
clearly  a  matter  of  luxury  and  not  of  common 
use. 

In  addition  to  the  pictorial  records  of  the 
ancients,  and  the  less  satisfactory  cursory 
remarks  of  their  authors,  the  study  of  archi- 
tectural vestiges  affords  occasional  useful 
information.  Winkelmann,  in  describing  his 
discoveries  at  Herculaneum,  says  : — 

*•  Of  chimneys  in  apartments  no  traces  are 
to  be  seen.     Charcoal  was  found  in  some  of 


EARLY  DEVELOPMENTS  9 

the  rooms  in  the  city  of  Herculaneum,  from 
which  we  may  conclude  that  the  inhabitants 
used  only  charcoal  fires  for  warming  them- 
selves. ...  In  the  villas,  however,  which 
were  situated  without  Rome,  on  eminences 
where  the  air  was  purer  and  colder  [than  in 
the  city],]the  ancients  had  hypocausta,  which 
were  perhaps  more  common  than  in  the  city. 
Stoves  were  found  in  the  apartments  of  a 
ruined  villa  when  the  ground  was  dug  up. 
.  .  .  Below  these  apartments  there  were 
subterranean  chambers,  about  the  height  of 
a  table,  two  and  two  under  each  apartment, 
and  close  on  all  sides.  The  flat  top  of  these 
chambers  consisted  of  very  large  tiles,  and 
was  supported  by  two  pillars,  which,  as  well 
as  the  tiles,  were  joined  together,  not  with 
lime  but  some  kind  of  cement,  that  they 
might  not  be  separated  by  the  heat.  In  the 
roofs  of  these  chambers  there  were  square 
pipes  made  of  clay,  which  hung  half-way 
down  into  each,  and  the  mouths  of  them 
were  conveyed  into  the  apartment  above. 
Pipes  of  the  like  kind  built  into  the  walls  of 
the  lower  apartment  rose  into  another  in  the 
second  storey,  where  their  mouths  were  orna- 
mented with  the  figure  of  a  lion's  head  in 
burned  clay.     A  narrow  passage,  of  about 


10  CHIMNEYPIECES 

two  feet  in  breadth,  conducted  to  the  sub- 
terranean chambers,  into  which  coals  were 
thrown  through  a  square  hole,  and  the  heat 
was  conveyed  from  them  by  means  of  the 
before-mentioned  pipes  into  the  apartment 
immediately  above,  the  floor  of  which  was 
composed  of  coarse  mosaic  work,  and  the 
walls  were  encrusted  with  marble.  This  was 
the  sweating  apartment.  The  heat  of  this 
apartment  was  conveyed  into  that  on  the 
second  storey  by  the  clay  pipes  enclosed  in 
the  wall,  which  had  mouths  opening  into  the 
former,  as  well  as  the  latter,  to  collect  and 
afford  a  passage  to  the  heat,  which  was 
moderated  to  the  upper  apartment,  and  could 
be  increased  or  lessened  at  pleasure." 

However,  as  we  have  said,  the  hypocausta 
in  private  buildings  was  the  exception,  not 
the  rule.  Apart  from  the  brasiers,  the  most 
general  way  of  warming  apartments  with  the 
ancients  was  by  means  of  a  fire  of  wood  or 
charcoal  built  up  on  a  hearth,  a  flat  stone  or 
a  concave  depression,  placed  in  the  centre  of 
rooms,  the  smoke  from  which  was  conveyed 
away  through  an  opening  in  the  roof,  or 
simply  by  way  of  the  doors  and  windows. 
Sometimes  such  hearths  were  placed  close 
to  walls.     When  the  Roman  villa  was  dis- 


Florentine  Stone,  about  1450. 


EARLY  DEVELOPMENTS  n 

covered  at  Bognor  in  Sussex,  a  hearth  of 
this  kind  was  found.  It  was  formed  of  a 
stone  slab  and  some  bricks,  firmly  clamped 
together  by  means  of  iron  ties  in  such  a  way 
as  to  provide  a  well-like  enclosure.  In  fact, 
this  luxurious  dwelling  was  provided  with 
just  such  a  device  as  is  adopted  by  campers 
and  humble  picnickers  anxious  to  boil  a 
kettle  or  broil  a  bird.  In  this  instance  there 
were  no  signs  of  any  chimney  connection, 
and  there  were  no  traces  of  any  superstruc- 
ture. 

A  limited  qualification  is  here  necessary. 
We  have  mentioned  above  that  Pompeii 
must  be  excepted  from  our  general  remarks. 
It  is  a  fact  that  in  one  or  two  instances  an 
elementary  type  of  fireplace  and  chimney  has 
been  found  in  that  buried  city,  and  if  Palladio 
is  correct,  in  two  other  instances  elsewhere. 
In  the  buried  cities  the  fireplaces  are  seen  in 
the  shape  of  a  cavity,  formed  of  an  elliptical 
truncated  cone  of  brick,  and  surmounted  by 
pipes,  or  smoke  channels  in  earthenware. 
These  are  extremely  rare,  and  probably 
formed  part  of  the  kitchen  equipment,  for 
they  have  a  somewhat  close  resemblance  to 
the  present  local  fornello,  or  small  solid 
structures  of  brick  or  stone  masonry,  with 


12  CHIMNEYPIECES 

a  tiny  depression  for  burning  charcoal.  The 
point  is  that  even  this  quite  rudimentary 
type  is  only  met  with  in  a  very  few  instances 
at  Pompeii,  and  a  still  more  rudimentary 
stage  suggested  in  still  rarer  cases,  as  at 
Bognor. 

Now,  this  brings  us  into  contact  with  the 
primitive  methods  of  semi -nomadic  tribes 
and  hut  dwellers.  Mr  E.  Way  Elkington 
in  his  book,  "The  Savage  South  Seas," 
writing  about  the  wooden  huts  of  the  coastal 
villages  in  New  Guinea,  which  huts  are  built 
on  piles  over  the  sea  and  roofed  with  palm 
leaves,  says  that  specially  hard  timber  is 
chosen  for  the  flooring.  •'  One  log  tougher 
than  the  rest  is  placed  in  position  by  the 
door,  and  on  this  a  fire  will  probably  be 
burning  and  a  woman  squatting  by  it,  cook- 
ing her  lord  and  master's  evening  meal. 
The  rank,  yellow  smoke  which  curls  round 
her  does  not  inconvenience  her  in  the  least. 
She  takes  no  heed  of  it,  but  blows  away 
at  the  embers.  She  never  fears  that  the  fire 
will  spread  and  burn  down  her  home."  But 
while  the  smoke-grimed  interior  of  tents  and 
huts  are  commonplaces  to  travellers  among 
savage  and  barbaric  people,  in  certain 
regions  local    exigencies   brought  about  a 


EARLY  DEVELOPMENTS  13 

refinement.  Where  fuel  was  scarce  some 
method  of  conservation  of  heat  must  have 
early  been  hit  upon.  This  is  peculiarly  true 
of  treeless  and  bushless  lands,  where  the 
droppings  of  herds  and  cattle  form  the 
principal  source  of  fuel.  Experience  must 
have  soon  taught  that  the  building  up  of 
a  protecting  wall  at  back  and  sides  was 
necessary,  both  for  economy  and  comfort. 
The  next  step  would  be  to  partly  cover  in 
the  structure  with  stones,  turf,  or  mud, 
leaving  an  opening  in  front  to  feed  the  fire, 
and  another  at  the  top  for  the  escape  of 
smoke  or  the  reception  of  a  cooking  vessel. 
In  this  we  have  undoubtedly  the  prototype 
of  the  mound-like  enclosed  stoves  of  Central 
Asia  and  the  northern  regions  of  our 
Continent.  Enclosure  would,  of  course, 
bring  about  the  necessity  for  a  smoke 
channel,  a  chimney,  either  central  and  more 
or  less  vertical,  or  lateral,  underground,  and 
horizontal.  The  development  of  the  stove 
as  a  means  of  house-warming  must  be  dealt 
with  at  length  at  a  later  stage. 

A  desire  to  provide  safeguards  against 
conflagration  rather  than  the  idea  of  con- 
servation of  heat  was  the  guiding  principle 
responsible  for  the  evolution  of  the  semi- 


14  CHIMNEYPIECES 

enclosed  fireplace  and  the  chimney.     Field 
practice  taught  the  advantages  of  building 
up  a  fire  within  the  confines  of  a  back  wall 
and  two  side  wings,  rather  than  on  a  mere 
slab,  so  the  central  position  of  the  hearth 
was  changed  for  that  of  a  space  against  a 
chamber  wall,  often  with  disastrous  results. 
This  experience  would  lead  to  a  lining  of 
the  wall  at  the  back,  especially  when  much 
wood,  or  merely  reeds  and  mud  were  used 
in  construction.      We  have  examples  of  this 
even  so  late  as  in  the  rebuilding  of  Bolsover 
Castle    by  the   Cavendishes    in    the    17th 
century.     The  training  up  of  the  side  wing 
enclosures  would  follow  the  provision  of  a 
back  plate,   and   then   the   benefits  to    be 
derived  from  a  side  opening  in  the  outer 
wall,  and  some  means  of  directing  the  smoke 
towards   it,   would  sooner   or  later  become 
evident,  and  thus  the  fireplace  and  chimney 
came  into  existence.     We  can  see  all  this 
in    the    early    examples     of    Romanesque 
buildings. 

A  development  which  seems  so  self- 
evident,  a  method  which  appears  quite 
natural  to  the  merest  tyro  in  log-hut  build- 
ing was,  however,  long  delayed.  It  assuredly 
did  not  reach  us  from  Egypt,  a  land  where 


EARLY  DEVELOPMENTS  15 

the  principle  of  the  hot-air  stove,  not  only 
for  baking,  but  for  incubating  eggs,  was  well 
understood.  Nor  did  it  come  from  Greece 
or  Rome.  It  probably  suggested  itself  to 
builders  in  wood ;  but  even  so,  it  was  a 
very  late  invention. 

With  us,  as  we  have  seen,  the  Roman 
invaders  used  the  brasier  and  the  open, 
chimneyless  hearth,  so  that  it  is  evident  they 
cannot  have  found  any  superior  device  of 
native  contrivance.  Indeed,  what  we  know 
of  Celtic  England  shows  us  a  country  of 
single  chamber  dwellings,  later  having  cell- 
like excrescences,  with  the  central  hearth 
stove  beneath  a  hypsethral  opening.  Among 
the  Saxons  the  brasier  was  also  used, 
probably  descending  from  Latium  through 
the  intermediary  of  the  Romanised  Britons. 
But  the  prevailing  style  with  them  was 
not  modelled  on  the  Roman  villa  or  military 
castle.  With  them,  as  with  the  Celts,  the 
single  chamber,  be  it  a  small  room  or  a  large 
hall,  was  the  rule,  and  therein  a  fire  was 
built  up  on  a  central  hearthstone,  placed 
beneath  the  roof  opening. 

That  this  method  was  general  down  to 
a  late  period  is  evidenced  by  the  institution 
of  the   curfew,   the   Norman   couvre-feu,   a 


I6  CHIMNEYPIECES 

measure  Instigated,  no  doubt,  largely  by 
political  motives,  yet  based  on  the  un- 
questionable policy  of  public  safety.  That  a 
law  should  be  enacted  obliging  everybody 
to  cover  over  the  house  fire  at  the  approach 
of  night,  whether  that  fire  was  built  in  a 
pit  or  piled  up  on  a  flat  or  raised  hearth- 
stone, would  be  understandable  enough, 
because  it  provided  against  the  danger  of 
conflagration  resulting  from  unattended  open 
fires,  while  conserving  the  heat  that  would 
still  be  given  out  from  the  embers.  In- 
cidentally, of  course,  the  institution  of  the 
curfew  made  the  detection  of  secret  as- 
semblies an  easy  matter,  but  the  law  had 
to  be  based  on  a  more  obvious  requirement 
of  the  commonweal  to  make  it  possible.  It 
is  significant,  as  we  shall  see  in  the  next 
chapter,  that  the  curfew  should  have  been 
abolished  by  Henry  I.  in  iioo,  when  the 
chimney,  with  all  that  it  implied,  was  be- 
ginning to  make  its  appearance.  Which,  at 
all  events,  demonstrates  how  political  benefits 
may  result  from  progress  in  the  arts  of 
peace.  Certainly  the  change  of  an  open 
hearth  into  the  fireplace  was  an  immense 
step  towards  comfort  and  a  great  artistic 
gain,  as  the  following  pages  will  show. 


n 


mi  '■  I  ' 


r--^^b  j\£%^ 


Italian,  15th  Century. 


CHAPTER  II. 

ROMANESQUE  AND  EARLY  GOTHIC  EXAMPLES. 

In  the  Romanesque  we  have  a  sterner  ren- 
dering of  that  phase  of  Roman  architecture 
adopted  for  military  and  semi-military  edi- 
fices. Many  of  the  earlier  examples  of  the 
Romanesque  give  us  tower-like  structures, 
with  a  single  chamber  to  each  floor.  Some- 
times such  keeps  form  a  corner  of  a  more 
imposing  building,  with  main  hall  and  other 
clustered  apartments.  In  these  halls  usually 
the  flat  hearthstone,  chimneyless,  and  placed 
in  the  centre,  prevailed.  Several  instances 
of  this  arrangement  have  come  down  to  us. 
At  Penshurst  Place,  Kent,  the  Banqueting 
Hall  has  a  central  fireplace,  a  mere  platform 
of  stones  with  an  octagonal  kerb. 

The  Bayeux  tapestry,  though  dealing  with 
a  military  adventure,  gives  us  views  of 
several   interiors,  yet   while   we   frequently 

17 


i8  CHIMNEYPIECES 

see  preparations  for  feasting,  as  well  as 
conclaves  held,  there  are  no  indications  of 
fireplaces  or  of  chimneys.  Other  pictorial 
records  afforded  by  illuminated  MSS.  are 
equally  negative  as  to  evidence  on  these 
points.  On  the  other  hand,  we  find  authors 
as  early  as  1069  referring  to  caminatcEy  a 
term  which  has  been  interpreted  by  many 
as  denoting  rooms  provided  with  chimneys, 
probably  on  the  ground  that  Papias  the 
grammarian,  writing  in  1051,  defined  fum- 
arium  as  caminus per  qitem  exit  fumus.  But 
it  may  be  that  this  fumarium,  this  highway 
for  the  escape  of  smoke,  was  something  of 
the  nature  of  a  hood  or  funnel,  arranged 
somewhat  after  the  manner  of  the  hypocausta 
pipes  described  by  Winkelmann,  only  having 
an  opposite  function — that  is,  the  conveying 
away  of  smoke  from  open  hearths,  of  which 
we  have  still  many  examples.  Then  we 
would  regard  caminatcs  as  chambers  having 
hearths,  but  provided  with  hypaethral  or 
other  openings,  with  some  structure  training 
the  smoke  towards  the  opening :  an  improve- 
ment on  mere  dependence  upon  windows  and 
doorways.  It  was  a  considerable  step  for- 
ward, which  was  to  be  developed  successfully, 
for  we  find  regularly-designed  fireplaces  with 


ROMANESQUE  &  EARLY  GOTHIC    19 


rudimentary  chimneys  making  their  appear- 
ance with  the  later  Romanesque  builders. 
Conisborough,  Rochester,  Newcastle -on - 
Tyne,  Tonbridge,  and  Somerton  Castles, 
Clifford's  Tower  and  Durham  Abbey  kitchen 
in  England,  and  Cashel  and  Kilmallock  in 
Ireland,  bear  witness  to  this. 


^k^^>^. 


LOWER  CHIMNEYPIECE,  CONISBOROUGH  CASTLE. 

Of  these,  Conisborough  possesses  peculiar 
interest,  both  to  the  archaeologist  and  the 
architect,  in  this  particular  connection,  be- 
cause two  of  the  keep's  chambers  contain 
fireplaces  which  are  characterised  by  very 


20  CHIMNEYPIECES 

instructive  transition  features.  That  is  to 
say,  the  hearths  are  here  of  a  primitive 
type,  but  are  provided  with  astonishingly 
well  developed  frames  and  hoods,  as  well 
as  with  quite  effective  chimneys.  This  keep, 
which  was  built  for  William  de  Warren  under 
license  from  William  Rufus,  and  therefore 
dates  back  to  the  last  decade  of  the  nth, 
or  the  early  years  of  the  12th  century,  is  a 
tower  rising  from  a  spreading  base,  has  im- 
mensely thick  walls,  and  only  one  chamber 
on  each  floor.  On  the  first  floor  is  the 
principal  chamber,  and  here  is  seen  a  large 
fireplace,  the  hearth  against  the  wall,  but 
not  recessed,  coming,  indeed,  well  into  the 
room.  In  order  to  secure  draught  and  the 
escape  of  smoke,  the  wall  behind  the  hearth- 
stone slopes  backwards  from  base  upwards, 
where  it  is  connected  with  a  shaft.  The 
jambs  are  in  the  form  of  wing  walls  of 
moderate  projection  just  covering  the  hearth, 
and  are  ornamented  in  front  with  a  cluster 
of  three  non  -  engaged  columns.  These 
columns  stand  on  a  single  base,  have  plain 
shafts,  with  individual  and  slightly  foliated 
capitals.  Another  interesting  detail  is  that 
the  chimney  lintel  or  architrave,  which  is 
straight,  is  formed  of  large  dressed  stones, 


Italian,  Early  16th  Century. 


ROMANESQUE  &  EARLY  GOTHIC   21 

the  centre  one  being  wedge-shaped,  with 
cut-in  sides  on  the  lower  half.  The  stones 
on  both  sides  are  hipped  on  their  face 
towards  the  keystone  and  cut-in  on  their 
outward  side,  thus  the  whole  row  is  joggled. 
A  method  of  keying  such  as  this  is  often 
resorted  to,  with  modifications  in  the  details 
of  jogglings.  At  Cashel,  where  we  have  a 
fine  example  of  Norman  work,  the  same  style 
is  adopted,  while  in  a  much  later  example  at 
Edlingham  Castle,  Northants,  circa  1330,  in 
the  Decorated  style,  the  long  narrow  stones 
are  given  a  curious  wavy  form,  something 
like  the  nebuM  line  in  heraldry.  Joggling 
was  a  system  of  gaining  strength  possessing 
distinct  artistic  merits.  But  to  return  to 
Conisborough.  The  architrave  of  our  speci- 
men supports  a  moderately  proportioned 
flat-topped  hood.  In  the  upper  chamber 
the  fireplace  is  constructed  on  the  same 
principle,  also  having  a  sloping  back,  wing 
walls,  and  three  clustered  columns,  only  it  is 
rather  smaller,  with  flat,  hoodless  top.  In 
both  examples,  while  the  hearth  is  in  the 
room,  the  smoke  is  trained  away  from  the 
interior  towards  the  throat,  where  it  joins  a 
shaft  carried  upwards  to  the  ramparts.  It  is 
conjectured  that  some  form  of  top  or  stack 

c 


22  CHIMNEYPIECES 

may  have  existed  originally.  It  will  be  seen 
that  in  these  we  find  utilitarian  details  turned 
conscientiously  to  decorative  account.  It 
is  with  us  the  advent  of  the  chimney- 
piece. 

Rochester  Castle,  which  was  built  by 
Bishop  Gundulph  about  the  same  time  as 
Conisborough,  is  a  more  pretentious  edifice, 
but  possesses  rather  more  primitive  fire- 
places. They  are  placed  against  the  walls, 
are  slightly  recessed  in  circular  form,  have 
semi-circular  arched  openings,  with  two 
columns  at  side,  a  tall  breast,  and  small,  flat- 
topped  hood,  the  whole  being  nearly  flush 
with  the  walls.  The  hearths,  sides,  and 
backs  form  a  sort  of  conical  cavity,  reaching 
outwards  to  a  loophole  opening,  placed 
uniformly  with  the  regular  loopholes.  A 
zigzag  or  chevron  ornamentation  is  cut  as 
a  border  to  the  arched  opening. 

At  Colchester  Castle  the  fireplaces,  con- 
trived against  the  walls,  are  recessed,  have  a 
lower  stone-course,  with  brickwork  above. 
The  bricks  are  rather  narrow,  and  are  laid 
slanting,  first  to  right,  then  to  left,  but  not  in 
regular  herring-bone  style,  inasmuch  as  we 
find  three  courses  to  the  left,  then  two  to  the 
right,  and  so  on.     The  backs  are  shallow, 


S 


ROMANESQUE  &  EARLY  GOTHIC    23 

but  slope  upwards,  while  the  openings  are 
arched. 

At  Newcastle-on-Tyne,  built  in  1172-77, 
the  arched  opening  is  segmental,  and  is 
adorned  with  the  Norman  billet. 


CORNER  FIKEPLACE,   CASHEL. 


At  Penshurst  one  of  the  ancient  stone 
fireplaces  has  a  raised  hearth,  slender  jambs, 
flat  breast,  with  crenelated  base,  and  pointed 
hood.  Britton  gives  a  picture  of  a  Norman 
fireplace  from  Winwall  House,  Norfolk,  of 


24  CHIMNEYPIECES 

uncertain  date.  It  is  placed  against  the 
wall,  has  a  raised,  slightly  recessed  hearth, 
wing  walls  of  moderate  projection,  slightly 
decorated  lintel,  and  conical  hood  carried  to 
the  ceiling.  The  back  has  the  angles  filled 
in,  thus  presenting  a  five- sided  chamber. 

In  Ireland  we  have  found  examples  of 
Norman  work  at  Kilmallock  and  at  Cashel. 
The  latter  is  curious,  because  it  is  built  in  an 
angle,  one  wall  forming  the  back,  which  is 
given  an  upward  slope  from  the  base,  while 
the  other  wall  is  utilised  as  the  enclosing 
wing.  There  is  a  broad,  joggled  lintel,  and 
a  truncated,  pointed  hood.  A  very  quaint 
feature  is  the  curved  masonry  arm,  like  a 
horizontal  flying  buttress,  carried  from  the 
side  lintel  to  the  wall. 

In  France  regularly  constructed  fireplaces 
seem  to  have  come  in  with  the  12th  century. 
They  were  placed  against  the  walls,  were 
provided  with  jambs  to  enclose  the  hearths, 
were  crowned  by  architraves  supporting 
well  developed  hoods  connected  with  smoke 
outlets. 

In  Flanders  the  change  appears  to  have 
developed  much  earlier.  At  the  Chateau 
des  Comtes,  Ghent,  there  are  three  very 
instructive   examples   hidden   away   in    the 


ROMANESQUE  &  EARLY  GOTHIC    25 

basement,  They  are  little  more  than  arched 
recesses  in  the  walls,  though  in  one  case  the 
back  is  circular,  and  the  arch  is  made  to 
spring  from  the  floor  base  with  slight  pro- 
jection, so  that  we  find  rudimentary  jambs. 
Other  similar  fireplaces  are  seen  in  several 
houses  in  the  town.  Then,  in  a  fine  old 
merchant's  house  in  the  rue  Basse,  possess- 
ing a  very  primitive  recessed  arrangement 
in  the  basement,  we  come  upon  something  far 
more  advanced  on  the  first  floor,  the  fire- 
place being  provided  with  jambs  and  pillars, 
the  summits  spreading  out  into  corbels 
adorned  (if  that  is  the  fitting  word  for  the 
hideous  mask)  with  a  human  face.  These 
belong  to  the  loth  and  nth  centuries.  At 
Bruges,  in  the  gatehouses  of  the  Porte 
de  Gands  and  the  Porte  Ste  Croix,  we  find 
quaint,  recessed  fireplaces,  with  circular 
backs,  mouldings  round  the  openings,  but 
no  jambs,  the  lintels  triangular,  with  long 
bases.  In  the  first  example  the  top  of  the 
lintel  is  outlined  for  nearly  its  whole  length 
with  a  course  of  upright  bricks.  In  the 
second  there  is  a  semi-circular  course  of 
bricks  some  few  inches  above  the  lintel. 
These  additions  can  have  no  other  than  a 
decorative  object. 


a6  CHIMNEYPIECES 

With  us  other  rudimentary  fireplaces  have 
been  recorded  at  Clifford's  Tower,  York ;  at 
Tonbridge  Castle,  built  by  Richard  de  Clare, 
temp.  William  II.;  in  the  keep  of  the 
late  Norman  period  at  Middleham  Castle, 
Yorks  (provided  with  smoke  shafts) ;  at  the 
Jews  House,  Lincoln,  circa  1150,  where  the 
fireplace  is  built  on  an  arch  over  the  en- 
trance door,  and  is  provided  with  a  semi- 
external  smoke  flue  rising  to  the  eaves ; 
at  the  Pottergate  Arch,  Lincoln,  temp. 
Edward  I.  ;  at  Somerton  Castle,  Lincoln- 
shire, built  by  Antony  Bek  (subsequently 
Bishop  of  Durham),  who  had  licence  from 
Edward  I.  in  1281  to  crenelate  his  castle; 
and  at  Boothby  Pagnall,  also  in  Lincoln- 
shire. This  last  has  a  fireplace  against  the 
wall,  the  hearth  being  enclosed  by  a  raised 
masonry  kerb  with  rounded  ends  ;  it  has  no 
jambs  or  wing  walls,  but  a  hood  juts  out 
from  the  wall  above  the  hearth,  and  is  con- 
nected with  a  smoke  channel. 

This  form  of  construction  at  Boothby 
Pagnall  is,  of  course,  a  transition  device, 
a  variation  of  the  roof  funnel  hood,  placed 
over  the  central  hearths  in  large  halls  and  in 
kitchens. 

In  the  Monasiicum  Gallicum  a  Roman- 


ROMANESQUE  &  EARLY  GOTHIC    27 

esque  kitchen  roof  is  pictured.  It  appears 
as  a  conical  mound,  having  three  rows  of 
conical  chimneys,  one  row  above  the  other, 
each  chimney  shaped  somewhat  like  a 
miniature  kiln  or  bottle ;  at  the  top  is  a 
rather  larger  chimney,  belching  forth  smoke. 
No  details  are  given,  but  elaborate  as  it  is 
this  does  not  necessarily  entail  a  regular  fire- 
place or  even  a  smoke  funnel.  What  was 
usually  done  was  to  build  the  roof  over  the 
hearth  in  the  form  of  a  cupola,  this  being 
louvred,  or  provided  with  chimneys.  To 
facilitate  the  removal  of  smoke  and  create 
draught  the  hood  was  sometimes  added. 
The  pierced  hood  cupola  was  certainly 
adopted  at  the  great  kitchen  of  the  Roman- 
esque monastery  of  Fontevrault,  which  has  a 
tall  pyramidal  octagon  dome  with  chimney 
at  top  and  a  few  openings  lower  down.  At 
a  much  later  period  the  Great  Hall  at  West- 
minster School  was  provided  with  a  central 
brasier,  placed  under  a  mere  louvred  pro- 
jection in  the  timbered  roof.  The  roof  hood, 
however,  was  frequently  in  the  form  of  an 
inverted  funnel,  suggesting  the  hood  of  the 
chimneypiece  as  seen  in  the  examples  above 
described. 

We  may  take  this  as  the  general  rule, 


28  CHIMNEYPIECES 

though  the  examples  referred  to  show  that 
the  chimney  and  smoke  flues  were  early 
utilised.  Nevertheless,  regular  chimney 
flues,  consisting  of  square  or  cylindrical 
masonry  shafts  carried  above  the  roof  ridge, 
and  provided  with  a  more  or  less  ornamental 
opening,  did  not  come  into  anything  like 
wide  use  with  us  until  the  reign  of  Henry 
III.,  when  architectural  art  had  made  great 
strides,  especially  in  the  development  of 
details  tending  towards  a  combination  of 
comfort  with  decoration. 

This  was  the  period  of  the  Early  English 
or  Lancet  style  of  Gothic,  with  its  develop- 
ment of  deep  recesses,  lancet  form  of  arches 
and  openings,  adoption  of  small  slender 
pillars,  often  several  slender  ones  being 
grouped  round  a  larger  one,  and  moderate 
use  of  foliage  as  decorative  motifs. 

At  Aydon  Castle,  Northants,  we  have  two 
chimneys,  which,  though  belonging  to  the 
year  1270  or  thereabouts,  have  little  of  the 
Gothic  feeling.  One,  however,  with  a  square 
opening  and  no  lintel,  has  a  rounded  hood 
supported  by  a  group  of  slender  pillars  on 
each  side.  The  second  has  also  a  square 
opening,  crowned  by  a  broad  lintel  and 
square  hood. 


Italian   Early  16th  Century. 


ROMANESQUE  &  EARLY  GOTHIC    29 

At  Abingdon  Abbey,  Berkshire,  a  Wes- 
sex  foundation  of  the  7th  century,  rebuilt  in 
the  13th  century,  there  is  a  fine  chimney- 
piece  in  the  Prior's  room.  It  is  against  the 
wall,  has  a  deep,  circular  recess  with  brick 
back,  jambs  formed  of  stone  pillars  with 
foliated  capitals,  supporting  a  tall,  stone 
hood.  The  throat,  covered  by  the  hood, 
is  in  direct  communication  with  a  flue, 
carried  up  and  ending  in  a  chimney  closed 
by  pretty  gables,  each  pierced  for  the  escape 
of  smoke.  This  is  a  practical  adapta- 
tion of  the  older  louvre,  itself  an  improve- 
ment on  the  mere  hypaithral  opening,  much 
in  vogue  both  here  and  on  the  Continent. 

Stokesay,  Shropshire,  provides  us  with 
another  example,  very  similar  to  that  at 
Abingdon,  but  with  less  elaborate  chimney. 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE    MIDDLE   GOTHIC. 

With  the  general  advance  in  domestic 
architecture  there  came  about  a  correspond- 
ing development  of  the  fireplace.  It  had 
suffered  somewhat  as  a  social  centre  when 
the  hospitable  but  inconvenient  open  hearth 
was  removed  to  a  side  wall,  and  there  more 
or  less  cut  off  by  wings  and  dimmed  by  a 
low  hanging  hood.  There  was  a  certain 
exclusiveness  in  this  arrangement,  but  as, 
indeed,  the  change  had  been  introduced  with 
a  view  to  the  exclusion  of  smoke,  the  advan- 
tages of  an  effective  framing  for  the  hearth 
were  recognised.  As  the  separate  parts 
that  go  to  make  up  the  complete  chimney- 
piece — the  jambs  or  wing- walls,  the  archi- 
trave or  lintel,  the  smoke  collector  or  hood, 
were  studied,  it  was  seen  that  they  possessed 
decorative  possibilities.  The  removal  of  the 
30 


THE  MIDDLE  GOTHIC  31 

fireplace  from  the  centre  of  the  hall  to  the 
middle  of  one  of  the  walls,  or  even  to  an 
angle  of  a  room,  as  at  Cashel,  did  not 
necessarily  entail  dwarfing.  Builders  were 
designing  boldly,  and  chimneypieces  as  one 
of  the  chief  interior  features  began  to  be 
built  on  a  big  scale.  Everything  tended 
towards  this  end,  for  spaciousness  was  aimed 
at  in  the  Hall  or  other  principal  room.  But 
then  considerations  of  comfort  and  ex- 
pediency brought  about  a  fashion  of  dividing 
up  a  Hall,  almost  of  placing  a  room  within  a 
room.  There  was  the  raised  platform,  with 
some  kind  of  dais  for  the  great  folk ;  the 
carved  screens — often  of  considerable  mag- 
nitude and  closed  in  at  the  top — to  cut 
off  direct  communication  with  outer  lobby 
and  domestic  offices ;  f^ir  oriels,  with  or 
without  raised  floors,  and  partly  enclosed 
recess  closets,  forming  useful  withdrawing 
rooms;  also  minstrel  and  service  galleries. 
All  this  led  to  the  chimneypiece  being 
developed  along  lines  which  made  it  at  once 
a  conspicuous  detail,  yet  a  further  sub- 
division of  a  great  assembly  centre. 

To  some  extent  the  practice  of  deep 
recessing,  of  building  the  fireplace  within  the 
wall's  thickness,  was  abandoned  or  modified. 


32  CHIMNEYPIECES 

A  long  and  deep  hearth  jutted  well  out  into 
the  room,  first  on  a  level  with  the  floor,  then 
raised.  This  was  enclosed  by  wing  walls, 
forming  the  jambs,  pillars  when  they  existed 
being  merely  used  for  purposes  of  adorn- 
ment. These  wings  were  often  brought  out 
at  right  angles  from  the  wall,  then  turned  at 
right  angles  again,  so  as  to  form  niches 
within  the  fireplace.  From  wing  to  wing  an 
arch  was  thrown,  or  a  lintel  formed,  fre- 
quently carefully  keyed  by  some  such 
picturesque  form  of  joggling  as  already 
mentioned.  This  supported  the  great  hood 
above  or  formed  part  of  the  breast,  a  hood 
which  was  frequently  carried  up  close  to  the 
wall  cornice.  This  was  intended  at  once 
as  a  smoke  collector  and  a  draught  inducer, 
training  air  and  smoke  towards  the  throat  of 
the  chimneypiece,  which  was  the  immediate 
opening  to  the  smoke  shaft.  So  great  were 
the  proportions  given  that  a  man  could  stand 
upright  on  a  hearthstone,  or  sit  in  com- 
fort protected  by  the  jamb  and  its  inward- 
curving  wing. 

This  was  the  general  character  of  chimney- 
piece  design  and  is  found  influencing  the 
construction  even  in  quite  moderate  sized 
dwellings.     Of  the   magnitude   they   could 


THE  MIDDLE  GOTHIC  33 

assume  we  may  judge  by  examples  still 
existing,  and  by  that  horrible  story  told  by 
Froissart.  He  was  staying  at  Foy  in  the 
winter  of  1388,  when  Ernauton  the  Bastard 
of  Spain,  another  guest,  strolled  into  the 
crowded  courtyard,  and  picking  up  a  donkey 
with  its  panniers  filled  with  logs,  carried  them 
into  the  Hall,  and  scattering  the  assembled 
men-at-arms  and  knights,  threw  wood, 
baskets,  and  struggling  donkey,  its  legs 
kicking  in  the  air,  on  to  the  andirons  amidst 
the  flaming  mass,  "to  the  great  joy  of  the 
Comte  de  Foix  and  all  who  were  there,"  the 
chronicler  concludes.  Let  us  hope  that 
such  cruelty  was  not  of  frequent  occurrence, 
although  tales  of  babes  cast  into  the  great 
fiery  caverns  are  told  with  suspicious  re- 
currence with  us,  in  France  and  in  Germany. 
Eckhart  tells  us,  too,  that  in  religious  houses 
the  scourge  hung  on  the  chimney  hood,  and 
culprits  were  tied  to  the  jambs  to  be  flogged, 
no  doubt  owing  to  the  conspicuous  position 
of  the  chimneypiece  and  this  being  the  usual 
headquarters  of  Abbot  or  Prior. 

Usually,  however,  the  chimney  corner  was 
the  place  where  the  elders  sat,  entertaining 
guests,  instructing  the  young,  gossiping  with 
neighbours,  and  confabulating  over  private 


34  CHIMNEYPIECES 

matters.  In  fact,  the  chimney  corner  was  a 
refuge  from  the  hurly-burly  of  the  common 
meeting  room,  of  it,  yet  set  apart,  a  kind  of 
privy  closet  associated  with  all  that  is  most 
sacred  connected  with  home,  the  Lares  and 
Penates  of  Northern  people.  And  so  there 
grew  into  the  French  language  that  delight- 
fully domestic  phrase.  Sous  le  manteau  de  la 
cheminde,  to  describe  some  friendly  counsel 
quietly  given,  some  semi-secret  circulating 
in  undertones  among  the  family  or  inner 
circle. 

Thus  the  fireplace  became  even  more  the 
spot  where  the  host  was  found  than  the 
hospitable  board  itself.  A  rallying  point  like 
this,  looming  large,  with  conspicuous  features, 
attracting  the  eyes  of  all  who  entered  the 
room,  naturally  became  the  subject  for  care- 
ful thought,  liberal  handling  and  even  lavish 
decoration. 

Carved  stone  was  the  usual  material  for 
chimneypieces  up  to  well  in  the  i6th  century. 
Such  material  as  was  locally  at  hand  was 
commonly  chosen.  Thus  we  have  hard 
building  material  in  Derbyshire  and  North- 
umberland, white  and  greyish  yellow  chalk 
in  Kent  and  Sussex,  hard  but  easily  handled 
sandstone   and    the    more    brittle,   greyish 


Flemish  Coloured  Marbles,  16th  Century. 


THE  MIDDLE  GOTHIC  35 

black  slate  in  Italy,  the  soft  stones  in  Nor- 
mandy and  Brittany.  Bricks,  however,  were 
constantly  utilised  for  backs  and  cheeks, 
possibly  owing  to  their  being  cheaper,  but 
also  on  account  of  their  more  or  less  re- 
fractory character  as  compared  with  many 
stones,  and  their  capacity  for  storing  and 
reflecting  heat.  Brick  was  also  occasionally 
used  for  the  decorative  parts  of  the  super- 
structure. Brick  and  stone  were  practically 
the  only  combination  resorted  to  by  builders 
at  this  period. 

The  carving  often  showed  great  technical 
skill.  Incised  lines,  slight  rounding,  deep 
cutting,  and  complete  relief  were  all  used. 
But  as  a  rule  broad  effects  were  aimed  at, 
the  carving  alternating  with  large  plain 
surfaces.  These  surfaces,  however,  were 
frequently  painted  in  vivid  colours,  with 
the  same  bold  lavishness  as  bright  tints 
in  daring  contrast  were  applied  to  the  stone 
walls,  carved  pillars  and  roofs  of  mediicval 
ecclesiastical  and  domestic  building.  For 
reasons  that  are  sufficiently  evident,  chimney- 
pieces  were  more  often  cleaned  than  walls 
or  ceilings,  and  consequently  only  tracings 
of  such  colouring  have  come  down  to  us, 
though  the  indications  are  sufficient  to  show 


36  CHIMNEYPIECES 

how  these  monumental  adjuncts  to  the  Hall 
and  the  private  apartments  shone  and 
glowed  when  the  fires  were  lighted. 

So  great  were  the  Halls  at  this  period 
and  in  the  following  century  that  frequently 
one  fireplace  was  not  considered  enough. 
We  find  some  Halls  provided  with  two, 
placed  apart  against  the  same  wall ;  occasion- 
ally placed  on  opposite  walls.  The  more 
usual  course,  however,  was  to  Increase  the 
width  of  the  hearth,  and  divide  them  into 
two  or  more  fires.  At  Linlithgow  Palace 
there  is  a  very  wide  fireplace  with  four  sets 
of  pillars,  thus  dividing  it  into  three  hearths. 
At  the  Palais  des  Comtes,  Poitiers,  in  the 
West  of  France,  division  is  even  more 
thorough,  for  the  huge  fireplace  has  not 
only  four  sets  of  columns,  but  these  are 
backed  by  partitions,  at  right  angles  to  the 
back,  but  communicating  at  the  breast  with 
the  same  smoke  outlet.  At  Mont  St.  Michel 
there  is  another  great  chimneypiece  covering 
three  hearths.  In  the  Salle  des  Preuses, 
Chateau  de  Coucy,  Picardy,  the  hearth  is 
doubled  by  a  single  dividing  wall.  This  is 
a  huge  structure,  with  a  wide  but  somewhat 
low  opening,  with  columns  and  massive  wing 
walls,  the  whole  being  of  considerable  pro- 


THE  MIDDLE  GOTHIC  37 

jection.  The  overmantel  is  a  square 
structure,  adorned  with  nine  figures  of 
heroic  proportions,  carved  in  high  relief,  but 
otherwise  the  decoration  is  subdued,  indeed 
somewhat  rough  in  character. 

In  the  Durham  old  Convent  Kitchen,  built 
in  1368,  there  is  more  than  one  fireplace, 
as  was  natural,  placed  against  the  wall  as  in 
other  examples  of  even  much  later  date, 
where  we  find  hearths  placed  opposite  each 
other  in  circular  and  octagon  chambers. 
But  these  usually  communicated  with  the 
same  smoke  shaft,  though  at  Durham,  where 
the  hearths  are  deeply  recessed,  and  have  a 
wide  arch  formed  of  carved  stone,  each  fire- 
place has  a  separate  shaft  carried  up  to  the 
parapet.  At  St.  Cross  Hospital  near  Win- 
chester, built  by  Cardinal  Beaufort  about 
1450,  the  large  fireplace  has  also  an  external 
stone  shaft  on  the  front  wall. 

A  very  interesting  example  of  mixed  stone 
and  brickwork  of  this  period,  coming  from 
Prittlewell  in  Essex,  is  to  be  seen  at  the 
Victoria  and  Albert  Museum,  South  Ken- 
sington. The  whole  structure  is  about  four- 
teen feet  high.  The  lower  part  is  of  carved 
stone,  and  from  the  breast  upwards  of  red 
brick.     It  is  quite   irregular   in  design,  no 

D 


38  CHIMNEYPIECES 

attempt  at  balancing  being  made,  which  may 
have  been  due  to  its  position  in  a  peculiarly- 
shaped  room.  On  the  left  the  wing  wall  is 
a  straight  slab  ;  on  the  right  the  lower  part 
is  cut  away,  leaving  a  slight  projection  at  the 
top,  like  a  console.  The  ornamental  carving 
is  quite  simple.  Over  the  slightly  arched  open- 
ing there  are  two  narrow  pendentive  panels, 
filled  with  low  relief  foliated  design,  little 
more  than  indicated.  Under  the  hood,  on 
the  left,  there  is  a  stone  seat.  The  brick- 
work entablature  is  square  built,  with  curi- 
ously battlemented  top,  but  lower  on  the 
left  than  on  the  right.  The  flat  surface  is 
adorned  with  a  great  sunken  panel,  marked 
out  by  heavy  raised  round  mouldings,  within 
which  is  an  arch,  sheltering  a  triple  arch,  the 
middle  section  being  given  special  promi- 
nence, and  below  this  is  an  arcade  loft, 
with  three  equal-sized  arched  tops,  the 
soffits  ornamented  with  multifoil  tracery. 
The  two  upper  pendentives  are  filled  with 
trefoils  in  tracery,  having  two  huge  lobes 
and  a  small  one.  There  are  no  pillars,  but 
under  the  arches  are  indications  of  long 
stalks  with  trilobed  flowers.  This  square 
panel  is  placed  slightly  to  the  right,  and 
flanking  it  on  the  left  is  a  narrow  sunken 


THE  MIDDLE  GOTHIC  39 

trilobed  arched  panel.  This  whole  form  of 
decoration  is  most  peculiar,  and  raises  inter- 
esting problems  as  to  the  original  condition 
of  such  a  unique  monument  of  our  domestic 
architecture. 

In  the  same  collection  there  is  a  Florentine 
example  belonging  to  the  second  half  of  the 
15th  century.  It  is  a  massive  sandstone 
structure  with  well  carved  figures,  showing 
considerable  superiority  in  design  and  work- 
manship over  the  Prittlewell  specimen,  and, 
indeed,  over  much  of  the  more  pretentious 
French  and  Flemish  work  of  the  same 
period. 

Far  more  Gothic  in  feeling  is  the  large 
conically  hooded  fireplace  on  the  ground 
floor  in  the  Cascina  Mirabello  on  the  out- 
skirts of  Milan.  It  is  of  plastered  stone, 
strikingly  coloured.  The  opening  is  wide 
and  tall,  there  is  a  good  lintel,  and  the 
breast  is  covered  by  a  great  pointed  hood, 
excellent  in  outline,  decorated  with  boldly 
drawn  coat-of-arms,  specially  interesting  on 
account  of  the  overbalancing  disproportion 
of  the  crest,  which  marked  heraldic  work  of 
this  period  generally ;  a  fashion  which  con- 
tinued in  Teutonic  countries  even  much 
later.     Another  curious  point  is  that  these 


40  CHIMNEYPIECES  ^ 

are  the  arms  of  the  Visconti,  though  of  dif- 
ferent tinctures,  affording  an  instance  of  an 
overlord  granting  his  bearings,  with  suf- 
ficiently distinctive  modifications,  as  a  mark 
of  favour. 

The  fashion  of  adorning  the  chimney- 
architrave  or  the  hood  with  armorial  in- 
signia was  coming  in  at  this  period,  though 
heraldic  embellishments  were  not  then  used 
so  lavishly  as  they  were  at  a  later  date. 
This  was  probably  due  to  the  fact  that  the 
armorial  fighting  and  jousting  shields  were 
still  in  general  use,  and  were  hung  up  on  the 
walls.  A  happy  introduction  of  heraldic 
symbols  on  a  more  modest  scale  than  this 
Italian  example  is  to  be  seen  on  a  monu- 
mental chimneypiece  at  Tattershall  Castle, 
Lincolnshire,  which  Ralph,  Lord  Cromwell, 
rebuilt  about  1650.  He  placed  his  official 
badge  as  Treasurer  of  the  King's  Exchequer, 
a  purse  with  gold  tassels,  in  the  middle  of 
the  handsomely  carved  architrave. 

Coming  back  to  more  ambitious  efforts  we 
may  refer  to  several  Continental  examples. 

In  the  Salle  des  Gardes,  in  the  Palace  of 
the  Duke  of  Burgundy  at  Dijon,  belonging 
to  the  end  of  the  15th  century,  there  is  a 
very  large  fireplace  with  a   raised   hearth- 


Gothic  Work.  Milan. 


THE  MIDDLE  GOTHIC  41 

Stone.  The  jambs  are  adorned  with 
clustered  diamond-shaped  columns  with  plain 
shafts.  There  is  a  great  projecting  hood, 
providing  quite  a  roomy  chamber  for  the 
hearth.  Above  the  pillars  are  two  niches  of 
Gothic  tracery  and  pointed  floreated  fleches, 
affording  asylum  for  two  knights  in  armour. 
The  central  panel  of  the  chimney  breast 
is  filled  with  excellent  open  tracery,  partly 
geometric  and  partly  foliated  work,  surround- 
ing fleur  de  lis  badges.  It  is  a  very  fine 
example  of  this  style. 

The  Flemings  were  also  building  large 
chimneypieces  at  this  time,  the  Gothic  being 
of  the  decorated  type,  with  a  certain  Bur- 
gundian  broadness  in  outline.  In  the  Salle 
des  Pas  Perdus,  at  the  H6tel  de  Ville, 
Mons,  there  is  a  carved  blue  stone  chimney- 
piece  on  a  colossal  scale.  The  jambs  are 
severely  plain,  half  the  front  space  being 
occupied  by  octagonal  pilasters  with  inter- 
laced capitals.  The  frieze  or  lintel  is  broad, 
composed  of  large  stones,  richly  joggled,  the 
stones  having  elaborate  outwardly  curved 
and  sharp  incurved  outlines  for  the  purpose 
of  keying  and  decoration.  The  chimney- 
breast  is  massive,  divided  into  three  panels 
by  four  columns  topped  by  foliated  finials, 


42  CHIMNEVPIECES 

the  panels  being  covered  with  geometric 
tracery.  At  the  Mont  de  Pi^t^  Malines, 
there  is  another  noteworthy  example.  It  is 
of  very  considerable  size,  but  has  slender 
jambs  with  flat  mouldings,  and  an  engaged 
pillar  with  flat  moulding.  As  in  much  of  the 
Flemish  work  of  this  type,  in  place  of  a 
capital,  the  pillar  and  top  part  of  the  jamb  is 
curved  outward,  to  form  an  apparent  support 
for  the  lintel,  which  is  brought  forward,  is 
straight,  broad,  and  adorned  with  elaborate 
mouldings,  consisting  of  hollows,  rounds  and 
flat  bands.  Above  this  is  a  recessed  frieze, 
with  two  notched  shields  placed  in  the 
centre  leaning  against  each  other.  This 
is  topped  by  a  cornice.  Over  this  is  a  fine 
overmantel  of  carved  wood  panels,  with  a 
central  niche,  the  whole  being  crowned  by 
an  outwardly  spreading  fan  canopy  with 
delicate  mouldings  and  foliated  rosettes. 
Another  chimneypiece  with  the  same  form 
of  base  is  to  be  seen  at  Oudenarde,  but 
the  shafts  of  the  pillars  are  octagonal.  The 
shelf  has  a  slightly  projecting  edge,  finished 
off  as  a  three-tier  cornice,  strongly  carved. 
Above  the  flat  broad  frieze  there  is  a  well  cut 
wreath  of  leaves,  above  which  is  a  projecting 
cornice    forming   a   shelf    supporting   small 


THE  MIDDLE  GOTHIC  43 

pedestals  in  the  centre  and  at  each  corner, 
with  elaborately  carved  foliated  pendants 
hanging  from  them.  There  is  a  trun- 
cated conical  hood  above,  the  centre  part 
brought  forward,  the  wings  recessed.  In 
the  centre  is  a  niche  with  a  carved  figure. 

In  the  Chateau  de  Meillant,  near  Bourges, 
there  is  a  very  peculiar  structure,  reminding 
one  of  the  great  built-up  stoves  of  Germany. 
It  occupies  nearly  the  whole  of  one  end 
of  the  room,  projects  far  in,  being  built  with 
a  broad  front  and  two  slanting  wings,  and 
the  whole  carried  up  to  the  ceiling.  The 
fire  opening  is  long  and  comparatively  low, 
framed  by  pillars  and  a  straight  lintel,  the 
hearth  is  raised.  Above  the  lintel  is  a  deep 
frieze,  the  superstructure,  quite  straight,  is 
divided  up  into  tiers  of  panels  by  a  fillet  and 
pillars,  the  lower  panels  being  filled  with 
figures  sculptured  in  high  relief.  This  quaint 
structure  is  carved  with  great  skill  and  is 
painted. 

We  may  bring  our  recital  of  examples  to 
an  end  with  a  description  of  one  to  be  seen 
in  the  National  Museum  at  Florence,  where 
it  was  removed  from  the  Hall  in  the  Palace 
of  the  Due  de  Atene.  It  has  a  raised 
hearth,  very  slightly  projecting  jambs,  with 


44  CHIMNEYPIECES 

acanthus  capitals.  The  h'ntel,  in  the  form  of 
a  carved  frieze,  supports  a  pointed  hood. 
On  each  side  of  the  hearth  is  a  stone  bench, 
slightly  carved. 

It  will  be  seen  that  the  characteristics  of 
this  period  are  the  monumental  character 
of  the  structures,  the  distinct  hood,  very 
generally  conical  in  form,  the  breadth  and 
depth  of  hearth,  with  the  large  opening, 
often  providing  accommodation  for  persons 
under  the  hood. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

LATER  GOTHIC  AND  EARLY  RENAISSANCE. 

Stone  of  one  kind  or  another  was  the 
material  chosen  for  chimneypieces  anterior 
to  the  1 6th  century,  and  continued  to  be 
in  vogue  until  the  middle  of  that  century, 
when  wood  came  into  favour,  gradually 
usurping  the  primary  place  in  England, 
northern  and  middle  Europe.  In  Italy, 
however,  wood  was  rarely  used,  except  in 
conjunction  with  rubble  and  good  plaster 
in  some  of  the  later  examples  of  the  hooded 
Gothic.  At  this  period  hard  woods,  gener- 
erally  oak,  though  sometimes  walnut,  were 
preferred.  Decoration  was  carried  to  a  high 
pitch,  carving,  painting,  and  occasional 
incrustations  being  called  in  to  add  beauty 
to  the  examples.  Although  chimneypieces 
continued  to  be  monumental  in  size  and 
character,  they  did  not  project  so  much  into 
45 


46  CHIMNEYPIECES 

the  rooms  as  in  earlier  times,  for  the  hearths, 
as  a  rule,  were  deeply  recessed,  the  framing 
therefore,  while  retaining  their  towering 
aspect,  came  more  on  a  level  with  the  wall, 
often  having  little  projection  beyond  that 
of  the  carvings,  mouldings,  and  panelling 
on  other  parts  of  the  walls.  The  hood  was 
gradually  replaced  by  a  square  form  of 
structure  covering  the  breast,  often  rising  to 
the  ceiling,  and  sometimes  being  carried  to 
the  upper  floor,  which  acted  as  a  foundation 
or  support  to  the  hearth  in  the  room  above. 
This  last  provision,  indeed,  is  found  in  a 
good  many  of  the  larger  examples  even 
during  the  preceding  period. 

While  so  much  pains  were  bestowed  on 
embellishing  the  frame  with  carving  and 
colour,  greater  attention  began  to  be  paid 
to  the  embellishment  both  of  the  lining  of 
the  fireplace  and  to  its  furniture.  Hearths 
were  sometimes  level  with  the  floor,  and 
then  not  uncommonly  surrounded  by  a  stone 
kerb,  plain  or  moulded,  as  at  Penshurst ; 
or  they  were  raised,  forming  a  platform  at  a 
slightly  higher  level  than  the  rest  of  the 
room.  The  hearthstone  itself  was  some- 
times decorated,  either  with  carvings  in  low 
relief,  with  incised  tracery,  or  as  in  the  early 


EARLY  RENAISSANCE  47 

1 6th  century  example  at  Lacock  Abbey, 
Wiltshire,  were  inlaid  with  a  pattern  in  lead. 
This  was  a  prelude  to  the  use  of  glazed 
tiles,  which  were  first  used  to  line  the  backs 
and  wings.  Tiles  were  introduced  by  the 
Dutch,  late  in  this  century.  But  the  greater 
use  of  wood  introduced  into  construction 
brought  about  the  use  of  iron  fire-backs,  of 
which  we  shall  have  something  to  say  later, 
as  well  as  of  fire-dogs,  or  andirons. 

The  magnificent  decoration  so  generally 
prevailing  is  often  alluded  to  in  literature. 
In  "Cymbeline"  Shakespeare  makes  lachimo 
describe  Imogen's  chamber: — 

"  The  chimney 
Is  south  the  chamber,  and  the  chimneypiece 
Chaste  Dian  bathing  ;  never  saw  I  figures 
So  Ukely  to  report  themselves  ;  the  cutter 
Was  as  another  nature,  dumb ;  outwent  her, 
Motion  and  breath  left  out. 

"The  roof  o'  the  chamber 
With  golden  cherubins  is  fretted  :  her  andirons— 
I  had  forgot  them— were  two  winking  Cupids 
Of  silver,  each  on  one  foot  standing,  nicely 
Depending  on  their  brands." 

We  will  find  plenty  of  instances  of  this  in 
the  examples  from  different  countries  now 
about  to  be  described. 


48  CHIMNEYPIECES 

In  the  Victoria  and  Albert  Museum,  South 
Kensington,  there  is  a  charming  little  painted 
panel  room,  taken  from  a  farmhouse  near 
Alen^on,  which  is  supposed  to  have  been 
used  as  a  hunting-box  by  Henry  IV.  There 
is  no  carving,  but  every  inch  of  panelling  is 
covered  with  decoration  in  vivid  colours. 
The  chimneypiece  consists  of  a  rectangular 
projection  into  the  room,  carried  from  floor 
to  ceiling,  and  provided  with  moderate  sized, 
almost  square  opening,  the  hearth,  back  and 
sides  being  lined  with  stone.  Over  the 
breast  is  a  panel  picture  of  the  Nativity, 
and  round  this,  and  all  over  the  surface,  are 
floral  arabesques,  with  human  and  animal 
forms  introduced.  The  colouring  and  gild- 
ing, though  somewhat  vivid,  is  good,  but  the 
drawing  is  decidedly  coarse.  As  an  example 
from  quite  a  small  country  house,  it  is  of 
great  value,  showing  how  far  the  decorative 
spirit  was  carried. 

We  must,  however,  hark  back  to  earlier 
and  more  monumental  examples. 

In  Jacques  Coeur's  most  beautiful  and  in- 
teresting early  Renaissance  house  at  Bourges, 
we  find  a  great  chimneypiece  which  in  out- 
line and  feeling  is  really  Gothic.  It  is  of 
carved   stone,    with    stout   wing  walls,   the 


EARLY  RENAISSANCE  49 

actual  jambs  being  in  the  form  of  columns 
supporting  a  broad  frieze,  the  top  of  which 
is  embattled,  and  between  the  crenelations 
appear  bowmen  taking  aim  at  the  people  in 
the  Hall.  Above  this  towers  a  large  conical 
hood,  adorned  with  two  pinnacled  dormer 
windows,  with  well  carved  figures  looking 
out.  This  was  probably  brightly  coloured 
when  first  put  up.  Another  in  the  same 
house  has  an  arched  opening,  the  lintel  is 
sculptured  with  figures  in  high  relief,  the  breast 
is  composed  of  three  painted  arched  panels, 
above  which  are  figures  mounted  on  horseback. 
At  the  Chateau  de  Chenonceaux,  which 
was  begun  in  15 15,  there  are  several  im- 
portant chimneypieces,  the  two  most  remark- 
able being  in  the  Guard  Room  and  the 
Salle  de  Catherine  de  Medici.  They  were 
probably  decorated  for  Diane  de  Poitiers. 
They  are  both  huge  affairs.  Thejatter  has 
broad  pilasters  with  corbels  supporting  a 
cornice,  from  whence  springs  the  over- 
mantel, reaching  to  the  ceiling.  It  is 
adorned  with  four  colossal  winged  and  partly 
draped  female  figures,  standing  on  couchant 
lions,  and  holding  scythes.  The  central 
panel  is  filled  with  a  painting  showing  a 
recumbent  Diana  with  stag. 


50  CHIMNEYPIECES 

At  the  Chateau  de  Blois  we  have  quite  a 
gallery  of  gorgeous  chimneypieces.  That 
in  the  Salle  des  Gardes  de  la  Reine,  of 
carved  stone,  has  considerable  projection. 
The  jambs  are  adorned  with  Corinthian 
columns,  fluted,  the  indents  filled  with  broken 
and  counterchanged  astragals.  The  carving 
of  lintel  and  cornices  is  very  elaborate.  The 
breast  is  carved  straight  up  to  the  ceiling, 
and  is  provided  with  three  decorated  niches 
in  front  and  two  at  the  sides.  The  whole  of 
the  work  here  is  of  the  very  ornate  Renais- 
sance style.  The  columns  are  generally 
fluted  and  have  foliated  capitals.  Figures 
are  used,  but  usually  ornamentally,  being 
placed  in  niches.  The  surface  is  generally 
covered  with  rich  scrollwork  and  arabesques, 
often  as  a  framing  to  heraldic  or  symbolic 
devices. 

In  one  instance  of  carved  wood,  almost 
flush  with  the  panelled  wall,  the  jambs  are 
fluted  pilasters  supporting  a  lintel,  frieze  and 
a  shelf,  which  projects  slightly.  The 
chimney  breast  is  framed  by  two  pilasters, 
highly  carved,  the  space  between  these  is 
filled  with  a  graceful  diaper  of  looped  trellis, 
enclosing  fieur  de  lis  and  the  letter  H  placed 
alternately.      This  forms  a  background  for  a 


EARLY  RENAISSANCE  51 

large  panel,  enclosed  by  a  wreath  formed 
round  a  crowned  H  and  well  carved  ribbons. 

Another  specimen  elaborately  carved  is 
adorned  with  wonderfully  rich  Vitruvian 
scrolls  on  the  lintel.  The  breast  has  two 
recessed  panels,  separated  by  columns 
covered  with  arabesques.  On  the  panels 
appear  respectively  the  crowned  salamander 
of  the  French  King,  and  the  crowned  grey- 
hound of  the  Counts  of  Blois. 

In  the  Chambre  du  Roi  the  chimneypiece 
is  strongly  carved,  the  lintel  being  covered 
with  rich  arabesques,  as  a  frame  to  the 
Royal  arms  of  France  placed  in  the  centre. 
The  breast  is  covered  with  an  open  diaper 
q{  fleur  de  lis,  forming  a  background  to  a 
large  foliated  crowned  H.  The  crowned 
salamander,  a  good  deal  larger  than  life,  we 
hope,  appears  again  on  a  chimney  breast, 
the  panel  being  powdered  with  small  flames. 
In  this  instance  the  capitals  of  the  columns 
on  the  jambs  are  foliated  scrollwork, 
merging  into  winged  beasts.  This  same 
treatment  of  capitals  is  to  be  seen  in  the 
Salle  Louis  XII.,  where  the  capitals  on  the 
columns  framing  the  chimney  breast  develop 
into  winged  beasts  with  grinning,  grotesque 
heads.     A  marked  feature  here  is  the  be- 


52  CHIMNEYPIECES 

wildering  mixture  of  orders,  a  weakness  of 
invention  betraying  that  decadence  which  so 
soon  showed  itself  in  Renaissance  work. 
This  note  of  ill-considered  exuberance  is 
also  seen  in  the  heterogeneous  character  of 
the  arabesques  with  leaves,  flowers,  fruits, 
birds,  beasts,  monsters,  shells  and  so  on. 
Yet  the  execution  is  perfect.  This  applies 
to  the  purely  architectural  members,  the 
flora  and  fauna,  and  to  the  heraldic  motifs. 
Fleur  de  lis  are  largely  used,  and  we  also 
see  besides  the  salamander  and  greyhound, 
the  crowned  porcupine,  all  of  which  make 
very  effective  details  in  decoration,  whether 
employed  as  central  motifs  or  as  mere  items 
in  the  arabesque  designs.  One  of  these 
porcupines  occurs  on  a  fine  chimneypiece 
with  boldly  moulded  frieze,  a  painted  Gothic 
entablature,  and  also  in  conjunction  with 
well  designed  shields  of  the  three  fleur  de 
lis  of  France  and  the  ermine  shield  of 
Brittany,  all  carved  in  high  relief. 

In  the  Cabinet  de  Louis  XII.  there  is 
a  very  characteristic  semi-Gothic  heraldic 
example.  The  jambs  are  peculiar.  On  the 
inside  they  are  straight,  at  right  angles  with 
the  back,  but  outside  the  wings  are  carried 
at   an   oblique    angle.      There   is    a    small 


English   17th  Century  Chimneypiece  from   Bromley-by-Bow. 


EARLY  RENAISSANCE  53 

column  against  the  wall,  and  a  larger  one  in 
front  of  the  jamb,  but  hardly  impinging  on 
the  fireplace  opening,  which  is  square. 
These  support  a  frieze  and  cornice  with 
strong  rounded  mouldings.  The  frieze  is 
decorated  with  large,  well  designed  fleur  de 
lis.  On  the  chimney  breast  there  are  two 
men-at-arms  kneeling,  acting  as  supporters 
of  a  large  shield  with  three  fleur  de  lis. 
Behind  this  is  an  ang?l  crowning  the  shield. 
It  should  be  remembered  that  legend  says 
iki^  fleur  de  lis  was  brought  to  Clovis  by  an 
angel  from  Heaven ;  which  no  doubt  is 
essentially  true,  if  the  lis  is  taken  to  be  a 
water  iris,  symbolical  of  spring  and  the  duty 
of  the  King  to  see  that  his  land  was  fruitful. 
This  example  is  marked  by  bold,  deep 
carving,  but  the  background  of  decoration  is 
of  the  simple  foliated  and  geometric  char- 
acter belonging  to  Gothic  design. 

In  the  Musde  de  Cluny,  Paris,  which  con- 
tains an  instructive  collection  of  fireplaces, 
there  is  one  by  Hugues  Lallemand,  brought 
from  Troyes.  The  jambs  are  quite  char- 
acteristic of  a  certain  Renaissance  work. 
They  are  formed  of  flat  pilasters,  the  bases 
being  enormous  four-toed  lions'  paws,  the 
capitals,   lions'  heads.      These  support  an 


54  CHIMNEYPIECES 

elaborate  architrave,  deeply  carved,  the 
subjects  chosen  being  foliage  and  fruit  sur- 
rounding a  central  panel  filled  with  a  group 
of  human  figures.  In  another  example  at 
the  Cluny,  belonging  to  the  same  school,  we 
have  termini  pillars,  while  the  chimney 
breast  is  framed  by  two  nude  atlantes, 
slightly  bent  under  the  cornice,  but  showing 
little  evidence  of  strain. 

Belonging  to  an  e?rly  decade,  to  about 
1540,  is  the  handsome  carved  walnut  chim- 
neypiece  in  the  Dining  Room  of  the  Chdteau 
d'Anet.  It  is  the  work  of  Philibert  Delorme. 
The  jambs  consist  of  two  powerfully  de- 
signed armless  atlantes  as  termini.  They 
are  bent  forward,  supporting  on  their  backs 
the  heavy  entablature.  In  the  centre  is  a 
many-quartered  coat-of-arms  on  a  diamond- 
shaped  shield. 

At  Troyes  itself  there  is,  in  the  Grand 
Salle  of  the  H8tel  de  Ville,  a  fine  example 
belonging  to  the  early  decades  of  the  1 7th 
century.  It  is  due  to  J.  H.  Mansard,  and 
has  much  in  common  with  the  Lallemand 
specimen,  with  its  heavy  built-up  character. 
It  is  of  marble,  which  material  began  to  be 
used  extensively  all  over  Europe  towards 
the  end    of   the    i6th   century,   the   mode 


EARLY  RENAISSANCE  55 

spreading  from  Italy,  where  marbles  of 
various  kinds  had  been  in  favour  some  time 
previously.  Mansard  designed  his  chimney- 
piece  like  the  fagade  of  a  public  building,  or 
a  great  commemoration  monument.  The 
fireplace  was  somewhat  low  and  small.  The 
jambs  are  adorned  with  diminishing  pilasters 
with  lion  feet  bases  and  lion  head  capitals. 
The  enormous  entablature  with  heavy 
mouldings  has  pillars  supporting  a  sub- 
stantial pediment.  In  the  centre  panel 
there  is  a  medallion  portrait  of  Louis  XIV., 
by  Girardin.  It  is  placed  under  a  canopy, 
is  surrounded  by  trophies  of  flags,  and  rests 
on  an  inscribed  tablet,  the  top  cornice  of 
which  supports  certain  commemorative 
medals. 

In  the  Tribunal  de  Commerce  at  Alen9on 
there  is  a  chimneypiece  of  the  reign  of 
Louis  XIII.  It  has  a  wide,  but  low  opening, 
with  straight  lintel.  The  jambs  are  deco- 
rated with  falling  sprays  of  flowers  and  fruit, 
pendant  by  ribbons  from  foliated  rosettes. 
On  the  lintel  there  is  a  bulky  swag  of  fruit 
and  flowers,  almost  without  a  curve  in  its 
general  outline,  and  therefore  looking  very 
stiff.  The  chimney  breast  is  flanked  by  two 
caryatides   as   termini,    the    pilasters   being 


$6  CHIMNEYPIECES 

foliated  and  decorated  with  flowers ;  they 
have  their  arms  uplifted  and  support  a  heavy 
projecting  foliated  frieze  and  cornice.  The 
centre  panel  is  arched,  and  over  this  is  a 
pediment,  formed  by  two  winged  figures 
holding  a  scrolled  cartouche.  It  is  some- 
what clumsy  in  design,  though  good  as 
regards  finish  and  the  treatment  of  detail. 

Designed  much  on  the  same  lines,  though 
more  happy  in  its  results,  is  the  17th  century 
carved  oak  specimen  at  the  Chateau  de 
Cheverny.  It  is  massive,  of  considerable 
projection,  with  large  square  opening,  but 
with  no  attempt  at  providing  the  social 
chambranle  hearth.  The  pilasters  are  carved 
with  grotesque  masks,  and  on  the  lintel  are 
two  female  termini,  human  down  to  the 
waist,  then  foliated.  The  entablature,  which 
is  very  massive,  has  four  caryatides,  two 
being  placed  on  the  front,  flanking  the  central 
panel,  and  one  each  on  the  side  walls. 
The  central  panel  is  framed  for  the  reception 
of  a  picture.  Over  the  heavily  carved 
projecting  cornice  are  two  amorini  holding 
a  coronet.  It  is  a  well-balanced  composi- 
tion, as  good  as  a  whole  as  it  is  in  detail. 

Before  taking  our  leave  of  this  prolific 
period  of  French  art,  it  is  well  to  say  that 


EARLY  RENAISSANCE  57 

much  may  be  learnt  from  a  study  of  ex- 
amples at  Fontainebleau  (providing  a  fairly 
wide  range),  where  the  dimensions  are 
usually  as  grandiose  as  the  decorations,  but 
the  projections  slight.  Versailles  also  fur- 
nishes us  with  many  subjects,  as  does  the 
Louvre,  which  forms  a  good  complement  to 
the  Cluny,  containing  many  fireplaces  de- 
signed for  the  Palace  as  well  as  others 
collected  from  elsewhere,  but  usually  pos- 
terior to  the  15th  century. 

With  the  virile,  home-loving  Flemings  so 
happily  self- expressive  in  their  art,  the 
chimneypiece  early  received  the  full  attention 
that  it  deserved,  and  with  them  develop- 
ment in  this  direction  was  rapid  and  notable. 
Evidence  of  outside  influence  is,  as  might 
be  expected  from  the  history  of  the  people, 
often  apparent,  though  it  can  never  be  said 
to  be  overmastering,  even  the  strongest 
Renaissance  work  being  modified  by  local 
feeling  and  tradition.  We  have  seen  in 
previous  chapters  how  rich  Flanders  is  in 
both  Romanesque  and  early  Gothic  speci- 
mens, and  also  the  peculiar  local  develop- 
ment of  caryatic  figures,  but  the  period 
covered  by  the  i6th  and  17th  centuries  was 
even  more  astonishingly  fruitful. 


58  CHIMNEYPIECES 

We  may  not  unjustly  give  pride  of  place 
in  this  section  to  the  huge  chimneypiece 
with  its  two  wings  designed  for  the  Echevins 
of  Bruges  by  Lancelot  Blondel  in  1529,  and 
carved  by  Guyot  de  Beaugrand.  It  is  to  be 
seen,  restored,  in  the  Hotel  de  Ville  of  that 
town,  while  a  full-sized  accurate  model  can  be 
studied  in  the  Castes  Rooms  at  the  Victoria 
and  Albert  Museum.  It  is  essentially  a 
composite  construction,  carried  out  in  black 
Dinant  marble,  alabaster  and  carved  wood, 
much  of  which  is  painted.  It  was  built 
to  commemorate  the  capture  of  Francis  I.  of 
France  by  the  troops  of  the  Emperor  Charles 
V.  at  the  battle  of  Pavia  in  1525.  The  fire 
opening  is  a  very  wide  one,  about  7  feet 
high  and  12  wide,  with  clustered  foliated 
carved  black  columns  supporting  a  straight 
lintel.  This  part  has  a  considerable  square 
projection.  The  lintel,  in  alabaster,  has 
elaborately  carved  panels  giving  the  story 
of  Susannah  and  The  Elders,  below  are 
clustered  pillars  and  two  pair  of  cherubs. 
Above  is  the  carved  and  painted  oak  breast, 
with  projecting  flat  canopy.  This  portion 
is  more  directly  dedicated  to  Charles  V., 
who  is  shown  as  a  colossal  statue  in 
armour,  holding  aloft  a  drawn  sword  in  his 


EARLY  RENAISSANCE  59 

right  hand,  and  a  royal  mound  in  his  left. 
He  is  placed  in  a  canopied  throne  niche  in 
the  centre  of  the  composition,  flanked  by 
two  smaller  niches,  with  a  great  carved 
column  on  each  side,  representing  the  Pillars 
of  Hercules,  and  symbolical  of  his  Spanish 
dominions.  Round  about  him  are  Gothic 
arched  niches,  with  naked  amorini  holding 
up  armorial  shields,  and  a  vast  profusion  of 
armorial  shields,  recording  his  many  terri- 
torial dignities  and  family  alliances.  On  the 
two  ornamental  pilasters  enclosing  the  en- 
tablature are  three  beautifully  modelled  nude 
amorini,  standing  on  decorated  pedestals, 
their  uplifted  arms  supporting  commemora- 
tive medals.  The  two  wings,  which  stand 
back  on  a  level  with  the  wall  panelling,  are 
also  of  elaborately  carved  and  painted  wood. 
On  the  left,  on  a  level  with  the  chimney 
breast,  are  effigies  of  Maximilian  I.,  King 
of  the  Romans,  and  his  wife,  granddaughter 
of  Charles.  On  the  right  are  balancing 
effigies  of  Ferdinand  of  Anjou  and  Isabella 
of  Castille.  On  both  these  wings  there  are 
more  armorial  emblems,  the  whole  com- 
position being  knit  together  by  the  Gothic 
arches,  tracery  and  foliage.  The  fireback  is 
a  great  plate  of  iron,  bearing  the  arms  of 


6o  CHIMNEYPIECES 

Brabant,  supported  by  a  wild  man  and  a 
wild  woman  of  the  woods.  It  is  a  splendid 
bit  of  work  that  smacks  of  the  barbaric, 
no  doubt,  but  is  certainly  imposing  and  of 
great  historic  value.  The  curious  iron 
handles  pendant  from  the  lintel  should  be 
noted,  as  we  shall  have  more  to  say  of  them 
presently. 

Dated  two  years  later,  the  carved  white 
stone  chimneypiece  in  the  Salle  du  Peuple, 
at  the  H6tel  de  Ville,  Oudenarde,  is  almost 
equally  monumental  and  characteristic.  Its 
jambs  are  composed  of  clustered  columns, 
supporting  lions  jutting  out  like  corbels,  on 
which  the  straight  lintel  rests.  This  is 
carved  with  armorial  shields.  The  breast 
is  covered  with  Gothic  geometric  tracery, 
having  foliated  terminals.  There  are  three 
canopied  arches  sheltering  the  Virgin,  and 
two  allegorical  figures. 

Others  belonging  to  the  same  class  may 
be  seen  at  Kampen,  Oudenarde,  and  Cour- 
trai.  That  at  Kampen  is  in  the  Salle  des 
Magistrats  at  the  H6tel  de  Ville,  and  is 
by  Colyn  van  Cameryck.  The  jambs  are 
composed  of  a  male  and  female  termini, 
supporting  a  lintel  elaborately  carved  in  high 
relief,  the  panels,  divided  by  small  pillars. 


EARLY  RENAISSANCE  6i 

containing  figures.  Over  this  is  a  shelf  with 
cornice,  consisting  of  three  superimposed 
fillets,  and  adorned  with  two  female  figures 
placed  on  pedestals  at  the  ends,  attended  by 
amorini.  In  the  centre  is  a  panel  supported 
by  two  cupids,  and  above  is  a  statuette  of  the 
Virgin  and  Child.  In  the  hood  are  contrived 
four  shallow  shell  niches,  with  pillars  between 
each.  In  the  centre  niches  are  lions  with 
armorial  banners,  the  outer  niches  sheltering 
allegorical  female  figures.  The  pediment  is  in 
the  form  of  a  shell-covered  temple,  flanked  by 
two  satyrs  playing  on  pipes.  At  Oudenarde 
the  chief  fireplace  in  the  Hotel  de  Ville 
has  a  carved  stone  kerb  round  the  hearth. 
The  jambs  are  composed  of  clustered 
columns,  resting  upon  which  are  couchant 
lions,  supporting  a  shelf  with  a  double  fillet 
cornice.  The  lintel  proper  is  broad,  and 
ornamented  with  three  armorial  shields. 
The  chimney  breast  is  a  mass  of  geometric 
tracery  with  foliage,  surrounding  three 
elaborately  carved  niches  with  foliated 
finials,  and  enclosing  religious  figures.  The 
lining  of  the  fireplace  is  of  brick,  with  a  cast 
iron  back.  It  is  dated  1545.  At  the  H6tel 
de  Ville  of  Courtrai  two  examples  arrest 
attention.     In  the  Hall  of  the  ^chevins  the 


62  CHIMNEYPIECES 

chimneypiece  is  of  carved  stone,  with  small 
jambs,  consisting  of  quite  slender  clustered 
columns,  turning  over  at  the  top  to  form 
consoles,  which  support  a  straight  lintel, 
carved  with  floral  scrollwork,  armorial 
shields,  and  two  figures.  On  the  architrave 
there  is  a  mass  of  carving,  seven  panels 
being  divided  by  ornamental  columns.  The 
central  panel  forms  a  larger  canopied  niche 
sheltering  figures  of  the  Virgin  and  Child. 
The  six  other  panels,  sunk,  surrounded  by 
tracery,  and  canopied,  contain  figures  in 
canonical  dress,  representing  bishops  of 
neighbouring  towns,  each  holding  an  ar- 
morial shield.  At  each  angle  of  the  shelf, 
standing  under  prominent  canopies,  is  a 
figure  in  civilian  costume.  Over  all  is  a 
canopy  of  three  fan-shaped,  semi-arches, 
with  beautiful  tracery  work,  having  sculp- 
tured scriptural  scenes  in  the  pendentives. 
This  canopy  forms  a  support  for  a  chimney- 
piece  in  the  room  above.  The  other 
example  is  in  the  Council  Chamber.  Here 
again  the  jambs  are  very  slight,  supporting 
an  important  lintel,  but  the  breast,  in  carved 
oak,  is  one  mass  of  decoration,  designed 
in  three  tiers,  each  tier  having  figures  under 
niches.     There  are  three  large  niches  on  the 


EARLY  RENAISSANCE  63 

second  tier,  with  Charles  V.  between  the 
Infanta  Isabella  and  a  figure  of  Justice. 
Above  this  the  niches  are  filled  with  figures 
representing  the  virtues  and  vices. 

At  Brussels,  in  private  houses,  and  also  in 
the  Mus^e  des  Antiquitds,  there  are  many 
interesting  specimens,  but  perhaps  the  most 
instructive  is  the  very  fine  reconstruction  to 
be  found  in  the  room  set  apart  in  the  H6tel 
de  Ville  for  the  Minister  of  Public  Works. 
It  is  in  pure  Gothic  style,  deep  recessed,  the 
side  columns  highly  decorated,  straight  lintel 
with  floral  scrollwork,  the  breast  being  flat, 
in  three  perpendicular  and  a  top  horizontal 
panel,  all  carved,  flanked  by  two  bewitching 
caryatides  in  mediaeval  costume.  This 
chimneypiece  has  been  evolved  from  archi- 
tectural members  and  scraps  rescued  from 
different  parts  of  the  Town  Hall  during 
various  works  of  remodelling  and  replanning, 
and  stands  a  spendid  model  of  what  the 
truly  inspired  renovator  may  do. 

A  specimen  of  domestic  Flemish  work  is 
to  be  seen  at  the  Victoria  and  Albert 
Museum.  It  comes  from  Antwerp,  is  dated 
1552,  and  possesses  particular  interest  as 
demonstrating  the  happy  union  of  various 
materials.      The    main    material    is    black 


64  CHIMNEYPIECES 

marble,  the  jambs  are  slender  red  marble 
pillars,  a  red  circular  panel  in  the  frieze  is 
just  over  the  fireplace  opening,  while  above 
all  is  a  red  marble  projecting^  cornice.  The 
fireback  is  remarkable.  It  is  composed  of 
small  glazed  tiles,  moulded  in  high  relief 
with  figure  scenes,  each  differing,  evidently 
designed  to  picture  stories  from  the  classics. 
In  the  middle,  on  the  top  line,  is  a  larger 
tile  embossed  with  the  arms  of  the  Emperor 
Charles  V. 

A  quaint  misconception  long  existed  that 
Italian  architects  did  not  know  how  to 
design  chimneypieces,  and  that  the  Penin- 
sula had  nothing  to  teach  us  in  this  direc- 
tion. No  doubt  this  was  the  result  of  the 
greater  attention  paid  to  the  sunny  parts  of 
the  land,  and  also  to  the  decidedly  unhappy 
references  to  the  subject  in  books  written  by 
the  early  Italian  architects.  That  the  notion 
is  a  mistaken  one  observant  travellers,  espec- 
ially in  Lombardy,  Piedmont,  Venetia  and 
Tuscany,  know.  Moreover  the  fine  repre- 
sentative collection  of  i6th  century  work  at 
South  Kensington  bears  this  out. 

First  on  our  list  is  that  quaint  Gothic 
example,  still  existing  in  the  Casina  Mira- 
bello  on  the  outskirts  of  Milan  and  already 


u 


EARLY  RENAISSANCE  6$ 

described.  In  Milan  itself  there  is  a  good 
example  of  Renaissance  work  with  a  linger- 
ing feeling  of  the  Gothic,  to  be  seen,  much 
mutilated,  on  the  ground  floor  of  a  house  in 
the  Piazza  Beccaria.  It  is  recessed,  has 
slender  columns  with  foliated  capitals  pro- 
truding in  the  form  of  consoles  supporting  a 
broad  lintel,  in  the  centre  of  which  are  two 
well  carved  figures,  with  an  armorial  shield, 
each  supported  by  two  figures,  on  both  sides. 
There  is  a  well  carved  cable  cornice,  and 
above  the  shelf  a  pointed  hood.  Yet  an- 
other from  the  same  city  has  low  pillars 
with  lions'  feet,  supporting  kneeling  nude 
winged  and  armless  syrens,  crushed  down 
by  the  broad,  heavily  carved  lintel.  This 
is  carved  in  high  relief  with  floral  scrolls, 
cupids,  armorial  symbols  and  a  splendidly 
outstanding  eagle  in  the  centre.  There  is 
no  hood,  and  the  chimney  breast  is  hidden 
in  the  thickness  of  the  wall.  So  liberal  are 
its  dimensions  that  a  modern  and  economical 
generation  has  contrived  to  build  on  its 
hearth  and  under  its  mantel  two  brickwork 
charcoal  fomacelli,  leaving  space  enough  in 
the  middle  for  an  open  wood  fire,  over 
which  a  cauldron  can  be  slung. 

Now,  let  us  turn  to  the  South  Kensington 


66  CHIMNEYPIECES 

collection,  which  we  can  do  with  all  the 
greater  benefit  as  some  of  these  specimens 
are  illustrated  in  this  book.  Let  us  take 
the  Florentine  first.  One  of  these  is  dated 
1500.  It  is  of  sandstone,  the  front  of  the 
jambs  being  decorated  with  rather  poor 
arabesque  carvings,  but  the  broad  lintel 
presents  excellent  work,  the  bold  floral 
scrolls  merging  quite  naturally  into  winged 
monsters  supporting  a  wreath  surrounding 
an  armorial  shield.  This  is  arabesque  very 
nearly  at  its  best,  while  the  blending  of  the 
heraldic  shield  brings  out  its  decorative  value 
without  incongruity.  Much  the  same  re- 
marks may  be  quite  fairly  applied  to  the 
more  sumptuous  inlaid  marble  chimneypiece. 
It  is  white,  with  black  panels  inlaid  in  colours. 
The  decorations  are  foliage  and  flowers 
merging  into  human  masks.  On  the  lintel 
are  two  formidable  griffins  with  foliated 
tails,  which  act  as  supporters  for  a  gold 
shield  with  a  sable  eagle.  An  ambitious 
piece  in  pietra  serena  has  the  jambs  but- 
tressed by  scrolled  consoles,  the  pilasters 
being  decorated  with  chainwork.  The 
lintel,  supported  by  corbels,  is  decorated 
with  incised  work  and  carving  in  low  relief. 
There  is  a  closely  packed  circular  bay  leaf 


EARLY  RENAISSANCE  tj 

wreath,  of  the  Roman  type,  surrounding  an 
eagle.  The  pediment  is  in  the  form  of  two 
scrolls  with  drapery,  an  armorial  shield 
serving  as  a  boss.  A  carved  stone  example 
of  the  early  i6th  century,  ascribed  to  Tullio 
Lombardi,  has  a  recessed  fireplace.  The 
jambs  are  rather  fancifully  outlined  and 
decorated,  supporting  respectively  a  crouch- 
ing double-tailed  mermaid  and  a  merman, 
bending  forward  as  corbels  sustaining  the 
broad  lintel,  with  projecting  cornice.  This 
lintel,  front  and  sides,  is  most  elaborately 
carved  with  hundreds  of  figures,  men  on 
horseback  and  on  foot,  dogs  and  game,  all 
cut  ^  jour.  It  is  a  thoroughly  animated 
hunting  scene.  The  projecting  cornice  bears 
a  dainty  leaf  moulding.  A  carved  stone 
example  from  Brescia  has  an  atlantes  and 
caryatides,  their  lower  parts  terminating  in 
foliage,  ornamenting  the  jambs,  which  are 
also  decorated  with  incised  geometric  pat- 
terns, traced  both  on  the  inside  and  outer 
surfaces.  Another  example  of  this  inside 
and  outside  decoration  of  the  wing  walls  is 
seen  in  a  carved  specimen  from  the  early 
part  of  the  i6th  century.  Here  the  jambs 
are  ornamented  in  front  by  two  slender  nude 
atlantes,  standing  painfully  on  tip-toe,  their 


68  CHIMNEYPIECES 

arms  supporting  a  flat  topped  hood,  with 
arabesque  and  heraldically  ornamented  frieze. 
From  Savona  we  have  an  example  in  dark 
slate.  The  heavy  square  jambs  are  carved 
in  high  relief  with  vases  and  flowers.  The 
lintel  is  adorned  with  scrolls  and  two  foliated 
figures  supporting  an  armorial  shield.  It  is 
evident  that  slate  is  not  a  happy  medium  for 
the  carver,  as  it  flakes  badly,  not  wearing 
half  so  picturesquely  as  sandstone,  or  even 
chalk. 

In  Northern  Europe  the  Renaissance  was 
felt,  no  doubt,  but  as  regards  chimneypieces 
the  tendency  was  to  adhere  to  the  Gothic 
hooded  type  or  the  rectangular  stone.  This 
is  evident  even  in  work  at  Gripsholm  Castle, 
Sweden  (1537),  where  we  find  many  ex- 
amples of  hooded  fireplaces  placed  in  the 
angles  of  rooms,  a  plan  reminiscent  of  the 
old,  more  or  less  turreted,  type  of  castle 
construction. 


CHAPTER  V. 

HUMAN  FIGURES  IN  GOTHIC  AND   RENAISSANCE 
WORK. 

Among  the  builders  and  carvers  who  imme- 
diately preceded  the  Renaissance,  although 
frequent  use  was  made  of  the  human  figure, 
this  was  largely  for  the  purpose  of  orna- 
mentation. I  f  we  think  of  examples  occurring 
in  old  buildings  it  will  be  seen  that,  as  a 
rule,  they  were  intentionally  and  obviously 
decorative,  having  little  structural  meaning, 
fulfilling  no  other  purpose  than  the  breaking 
up  of  broad  or  tall  surfaces,  or  the  filling  of 
nooks.  It  is  strangely  significant,  as  we 
shall  presently  see,  that  we  have  to  make 
exception  not  only  for  gargoyles,  whole 
figures  or  masks,  but  for  the  comparatively 
rare  employment  of  kneeling  or  crouching 
figures  supporting  benches.  In  the  case  of 
ecclesiastical  work  these  last  named  may 
be  devils,  squelched  by,  or  angels  put  there 
to  sustain,  the  good  fathers. 

69  r 


70  CHIMNEYPIECES 

In  connection  with  chimneypieces  we  find 
in  quite  early  Gothic  work  human  figures 
used  as  capitals  of  pilasters  or  columns. 
We  do  not  recollect  any  instance  of  this 
in  England,  but  in  Flemish  work  the  feature 
appears  quite  frequently.  This  is  notably  so 
in  13th  and  14th  century  examples.  The 
oldest  specimens  show  the  head  only ;  then, 
as  in  the  instance  in  the  Bruges  Museum, 
we  find  head  and  arms,  the  bust  merely 
indicated,  if  not,  indeed,  totally  suppressed. 
They  form  the  decoration  to  the  corbel 
termination  of  a  pillar.  Then  we  come  upon 
the  whole  figure,  squatting,  crushed  as  it 
were  between  the  supporting  member  and 
the  entablature,  which  they  seemingly  sustain 
on  their  backs.  Next  the  figure  emerges 
from  this  grinding  position,  and  disports 
itself  more  or  less  negligently  on  the  face 
of  the  jamb.  In  the  Museum  at  Courtrai 
we  see  a  chimneypiece  upright  adorned  with 
a  crowned  and  winged  angel,  which  is  dated 
1372.  Others  at  Ghent  also  belong  to  the 
14th  century.  At  Bruges  a  curious  and 
seemingly  purely  local  manifestation  of 
sociability  is  to  be  seen  in  the  fact  that  the 
figures  adorning  each  jamb  are  in  pairs, 
commonly  man   and   woman   side  by  side. 


Combe  Abbey,  Warwickshire. 


HUMAN  FIGURES  71 

They  are  bent  forward  on  the  corbelling, 
quite  free,  in  positions  often  the  very  anti- 
theses of  restrained.  A  chimney  with  two 
pairs  is  cited  at  Damme ;  others  are  to  be 
found  in  houses  at  Bruges  and  in  museums* 
The  figures  often  bear  armorial  shields. 
This  leads  to  the  introduction  of  heraldic  sup- 
porters, lions,  birds,  and  mythical  creatures, 
either  as  corbels  or  adornments  thereof.  One 
curious  mixed  example  is  to  be  seen  in  the 
chimneypiece  in  the  Salle  de  I'Arsenal  in  the 
HStel  de  Ville  at  Ghent.  On  one  jamb  is  a 
bold  lion  bearing  a  shield  emblazoned  with 
the  arms  of  Brabant.  On  the  opposite 
support  is  the  same  shield-bearing  lion  being 
fondled  by  a  brkve  and  fair  maiden.  We 
have  here  the  use  of  three  figures. 

When  all  is  said,  however,  this  use  of 
the  human  figure  in  Gothic  structural 
practice  has  but  a  limited  range.  Quite 
another  spirit  came  in  with  the  Renaiss- 
ance. 

A  study  of  the  sorely  mutilated  remnants 
of  the  better  periods  of  Greek  and  Roman 
architecture,  but  more  especially  of  the  re- 
cently unearthed,  and  consequently  better  pre- 
served, decorative  work  of  an  over-elaborated, 
decadent    Roman    art,    brought    familiarity 


f2  CHIMNEYPIECES 

with  the  idea  of  the  decorative  possibilities 
in  the  use  of  animal  forms,  more  particularly 
human  and  semi-human  forms,  for  purposes 
not  merely  of  surface  ornamentation,  but 
ostensibly  as  integral  and  essential  features 
of  construction.  Thus  came  about  the  intro- 
duction, or  rather  re-introduction  of  the 
sculptured  figure,  pillar  or  pilaster,  and  the 
surface  carving  and  painting  of  grotesques. 

Warrant  for  the  use  of  the  human  figure 
as  supporting  member  in  architecture  was 
certainly  to  be  found  in  ancient  practice. 

According  to  the  classic  school  both  male 
and  female  figures  were  employed  as  sup- 
porting members  in  buildings,  the  former 
being  called  atlantes  by  the  Greeks  and 
telamones  by  the  Romans,  or  later  Persians  ; 
and  the  latter  caryatides.  The  legend  runs 
that  the  last  two  terms  were  adopted  because 
the  Greeks  employed  slaves  as  models  and 
symbols  in  their  architectural  work.  The 
Vitruvian  version  says  that  the  Greeks, 
after  the  defeat  of  an  aggressive  alliance  of 
Persians  and  Caryans,  took  many  Asiatic 
prisoners,  and  slaying  the  men  of  Carya, 
destroyed  the  city  and  carried  off  the  women 
into  captivity.  Both  the  men  and  women 
y     were  used  as  slaves,  beasts  of  burden,  and 


HUMAN  FIGURES  73 

porters,  and  their  condition  was  perpetuated 
by  their  condemnation  in  effigy  to  constant 
hard  labour.  The  Lacedaemonians  are  said  to 
have  done  the  same  by  the  Persians  after 
the  battle  of  Plataea.  Such  figures  are  shown 
perfect,  nude  or  draped,  upright  or  kneeling. 
Apart  from  these,  however,  we  frequently 
find  pilasters  with  architectural  bases  ter- 
minated by  human  busts  or  heads.  These  are 
properly  called  termini,  even  if  employed  as 
caryatides,  and  correspond  to  the  terminal 
figures  of  the  Romans  and  the  Hermae 
statues.  The  state  of  affairs  which  called 
down  the  Scriptural  curse  on  those  who 
removed  their  neighbours'  landmarks,  has 
troubled  most  people.  The  Chinese  say 
that  bournes  near  the  estates  of  great  men 
develop  legs  and  take  long  journeys  at  night 
time.  A  similar  propensity  for  illicit  pere- 
grination among  Latin  boundary  stones 
induced  Numa  Pompilius  to  proclaim  the 
existence  of  the  god  Terminus,  who  was  to  be 
venerated  in  the  terminal  stones,  placed  under 
his  protection,  and  consequently  eventually 
decorated  with  his  effigy,  and  to  remove  which 
was  desecration.  By  a  natural  transition  the 
highway  boundary  stones  were  dedicated  to 
Hermes,  the  god  of  travel  and  commerce. 


74  CHIMNEYPIECES 

Then  we  have  a  third  group,  known  as 
canephori,  the  basket-bearers,  seen  as  carya- 
tides or  termini,- with  baskets  of  fruit  and 
flowers  on  their  heads.  They  represent  the 
maidens  who  danced  before  the  processions 
in  honour  of  Demeter,  goddess  of  Spring  and 
plenty,  and  Athene,  carrying  baskets  full  of 
flowers  which  they  scattered  in  the  pathway. 
These,  like  the  fish-tailed  men  and  women, 
were  refinements  of  the  atlantes  type. 

Of  course  the  root  idea  is  of  very  great 
antiquity,  and  is  better  represented  by  the 
terms  atlantes  and  telamones,  which  give 
concrete  expression  to  the  hoary  belief  that 
the  tangible  world  is  built  up  by  a  Creative 
Will  and  by  physical  effort.  Atlas,  who  sus- 
tains the  weight  of  the  world  on  his  shoulders, 
is  represented  among  other  peoples  by  the 
fire-and-water  snake  or  leviathanic  monster, 
or  the  tortoise.  More  directly,  the  notion  of 
a  sustaining  power  received  form  as  a  mono- 
lithic stone  pillar,  or  as  a  living  tree.  The 
stone  pillars  at  the  gateway  and  the  tree 
columns  were  useful  structural  members,  but 
also  symbolical  of  the  creative,  virile,  sus- 
taining principle.  Among  the  earlier  gods 
of  fertility  were  the  tree  gods,  protectors  of 
conifers,  olive,  date,  and  other  fruit  bearers. 


HUMAN  FIGURES  75 

Now,  the  use  of  trees  for  the  benefit  of  man 
entailed  sacrifice,  for  the  tree  was  the  per- 
sonification of  a  food  and  life-giving  deity, 
to  whom  compensation  was  due.  So  we 
hear  of  sacrificed  Osiris  being  confined  in  a 
tree  trunk,  which  was  afterwards  employed 
as  the  pillar  in  a  king's  palace.  So  we  hear 
of  the  blood  of  victims,  human  or  otherwise, 
being  mixed  with  mortar ;  of  sacrifices  being 
buried  under  foundations  of  buildings  ;  for 
the  blood  sanctified,  and  the  spirits  of  the 
dead  hovered  about  as  protectors.  This 
accounts  for  the  rude  pillars,  the  great  winged 
bulls  of  Assyria  and  Sphinxes  of  Egypt. 
Among  the  sacrificial  victims  were  prisoners 
taken  in  warfare,  who,  under  milder  dispensa- 
tions, became  porters  and  gatekeepers. 

In  a  like  manner  the  boundary  stone,  the 
termini,  were  direct  descendants  of  the 
great  stones  set  up  by  primitive  people  to 
represent  the  gods  watching  over  their  fields. 
Numa  Pompilius  did  but  revive  an  old 
notion.  It  was  quite  fitting  that  they 
should  have  human  heads,  and  that  they 
should  be  garlanded  with  cereals,  fruits  and 
flowers ;  for  some  portion  of  the  crops  were 
always  offered  to  these  "stocks  and  stones" 
as  representatives  of  higher  things,  the  un- 


76  CHIMNEYPIECES 

seen  powers  manifesting  themselves  in  the 
fruitfulness  of  Spring  and  Autumn.  Such 
offerings  are  yet  made.  The  author  has 
seen  in  Corsica  small  wreaths  and  crosses 
made  from  the  straws  and  ears  of  wheat 
placed  on  prominent  stones  after  the  harvest 
was  made,  just  as  on  the  Ligurian  coast 
olive  trees  are,  or  were  until  lately,  blessed 
by  the  priests,  and  hung  with  chaplets. 

Seeing  this  origin  of  these  figures,  it  was 
appropriate  that  they  should  be  designed  as 
powerful  creatures  straining  under  the  burden 
of  sustaining  entablatures  and  cornices,  though 
the  purely  protective  idea  also  suggested  the 
more  graceful  pose  pervading  the  creations 
of  Greek  art  in  its  most  perfect  stage. 

Isaac  Ware,  in  his  "Complete  Body  of 
Architecture,"  discussing  the  topic  of  carya- 
tides in  connection  with  chimneypiece  design 
and  structure,  says  : — "  Men  of  a  rude  genius 
represented  them  as  crushed  and  sinking 
under  the  weight,  and  think  it  a  high  degree 
of  merit  if  they  can  figure  in  their  sculpture 
starting  eyes  or  bursting  sinews.  The  Greeks 
detested  such  barbarity  ;  nor,  I  hope,  are  we 
so  justly  censured  for  a  love  of  cruelty  that 
such  sights  could  please  us."  He  quite  cor- 
rectly points  out  that  the  eye  of  spectators  is 


HUMAN  FIGURES  17 

attracted  by  figures  when  placed  In  such  a 
situation,  and  he  adds,  "he  must  have  a  bar- 
barous fancy  who  would  wish  to  dispose 
them  in  attitudes  of  horror.  Everything 
there  should  have  an  air  of  cheerfulness." 
He  therefore  pleads  for  the  later  Greek 
spirit.  Ware  was  undoubtedly  right  when 
he  held  that  such  figures  should  not  be 
treated  as  statues,  but  as  parts  of  an  order 
of  architecture ;  put  there,  in  fact,  to  supply 
the  place  of  columns.  He  required  that  this 
should  be  done  in  a  way  that  was  pleasing, 
that  should  not  express  effort  or  pain.  A 
difficult  problem  for  the  artist.  Yet  there 
was  justification  for  this.  While  the  Greeks 
made  their  atlantes,  the  Romans  their  tela- 
mones,  colossal  beings  of  athletic  develop- 
ment, who  appeared  really  to  be  sustaining 
great  weights,  they  also  took  the  view  of 
people  further  East,  that  these  figures  were 
guardians,  protectors.  This  duality  of  feel- 
ing appears  to  have  come  down  through  the 
Romanesque  to  the  Gothic  workers.  Many 
of  the  early  figures  are  visibly  crushed  be- 
tween capital  and  cornice.  Others  com/2 
before  us  as  natural  growths,  like  the  bark 
on  a  tree,  without  conveying  an  idea  of 
strain.     Far  too  many  figures  of  the  non- 


/8  CHIMNEYPIECES 

straining  character,  however,  are  obviously 
mere  adjuncts. 

Against  this  we  have  some  admirable  ex- 
amples of  complete  blending  without  effort. 
In  the  library  of  the  Palace  of  Versailles  there 
is  a  quite  simply  designed  chimneypiece  in 
white  marble,  with  ormolu  ornamentations. 
On  the  flat  pilasters  of  the  jambs  are  two 
termini,  gracefully  chubby,  nude  boys, 
merging  below  into  acanthus  leaves,  their 
heads  inclined  forward,  loose  drapery  falling 
from  their  heads  over  their  shoulders  to  their 
waists.  One  has  his  arms  folded,  the  other 
holds  the  drapery  under  his  chin  with  one 
hand,  while  the  other  arm  hangs  negligently 
at  his  side.  Both  are  splendidly  modelled, 
and  have  pleasant  smiles.  In  another  case, 
in  the  Dauphin's  bedroom,  also  at  Versailles, 
there  is  a  low  chimneypiece  in  red  and  white 
veined  marble,  with  wide  depressed  arch  and 
ormolu  decorations.  At  the  angles  of  the 
jambs  are  two  termini,  a  maiden  and  a  youth, 
with  nude  bodies,  surrounded  by  ribbons  and 
garlands.  Their  breasts  and  heads  bend 
forward,  each  has  the  outer  hand  on  the  hip, 
the  inner  arm  outstretched,  which  give  them 
the  impression  of  lightness  and  happiness. 
Then  we  may  consider  Alfred  Stevens'  bold 


HUMAN  FIGURES  79 

solution.  In  his  Dorchester  House  chimney- 
piece  he  has  two  figures,  a  maid  and  a  youth, 
who  are  in  a  crouching  position  on  each 
side.  They  belong  to  the  design,  yet  are 
doing  very  little  absolute  work.  Possibly 
here  the  wonderful  sense  of  harmony  is 
gained  by  the  splendid  modelling  of  practi- 
cally nude  forms,  with  their  evidence  of 
vigour  and  great  dormant  strength.  In  this 
way,  too,  he  has  managed  to  utilise  the 
undraped  figure  without  any  incongruity  for 
so  conspicuous  a  position  in  a  room  for 
general  assembly — thus  satisfying  the  de- 
mands made  both  by  Ware  and  Sir  William 
Chambers  that  the  unnecessary  freedom  of 
the  later  Renaissance  should  be  restrained. 
Ware  gives  a  picture  of  a  chimneypiece 
adorned  by  two  female  figures  designed  by 
Grignon,  as  caryatides,  one  completely 
draped,  the  other  only  partially  so,  and  he 
justly  prefers  the  former.  The  artist  can, 
indeed,  put  more  vulgarity  in  partial  drapery 
than  if  he  adopted  the  purely  nude. 

With  the  master  exponents  of  a  return  to 
classical  canons  and  practice  of  art  such 
restraint  was  shown,  but  the  exuberance 
begotten  of  a  too  thoughtless  imitation  of 
grotesque,  did  not  lead  to  excess.     Folklore 


8o  CHIMNEYPIECES 

and  classic  mythology  gave  warrant  for 
certain  extravagances.  We  have  explained 
the  architectural  and  foliated  terminations  of 
pilaster  and  pillar  figures.  But  beyond  this 
there  were  half- human,  beast,  or  half- fish 
figures,  and,  even  more  strange,  the  human 
figure  merging  into  the  vegetable.  This  is 
merely  a  rendering  of  such  truth  as  underlay 
the  worship  of  trees.  Osiris,  we  saw,  was 
identified  after  death,  before  his  coming  back 
to  life,  with  the  date  palm  trunk.  River 
gods  rose  out  of  rushes,  sylvan  deities  and 
sprites  faded  into  trees  and  bushes.  We 
have  only  to  study  the  beautiful  renderings 
of  old  Greek  tales  by  Bartolommeo  Pinelli  to 
realise  this  feeling  of  the  Renaissance 
workers.  Daphne  flying  from  Apollo,  her 
arms  uplifted  to  heaven,  takes  root  as  a  tree, 
her  fingers  sprout  into  branches.  In  another 
plate  we  see  Cyparisso  being  transformed 
into  a  cypress,  his  body  has  become  half 
a  rugged  trunk,  one  hand  is  pressed  to  the 
head,  the  other,  uplifted,  has  become  a 
branch  thick  with  the  dark  green  leaves.  It 
was  such  tales  as  these  that  furnished  motives 
to  the  carver,  and  the  Gothic  root  in  a 
population  mainly  of  forest -dwellers  gave 
rise  to  other  extravagances. 


HUMAN  FIGURES  8i 

The  pity  lay  in  the  fact  that  folklore, 
when  it  became  a  mere  legend,  a  weird  tale, 
lost  its  spiritual  influence,  but  held  the 
artistic  imagirtation  ;  so  situations  and  types 
become  stereotyped  and  then  degenerate. 
Fancy  without  reverence  at  its  back  was  given 
a  free  hand,  monstrosities  growing  apace 
without  much  rhyme  or  reason.  As  regards 
fireplace  ornamentation,  this  is  seen  largely 
in  the  third  and  fourth  generation  of  Renais- 
sance workers  by  the  excessive  use  of  fauns, 
satyrs,  and  the  employment  of  incongruous 
adjuncts. 

It  was  at  this  stage  of  development  that 
the  canephori  proved  dangerously  attractive 
to  the  carver.  These  female  figures,  often 
graceful  enough  in  themselves,  even  when 
treated  as  termini  as  they  frequently  were,  un- 
fortunately had  very  small  baskets  of  flowers 
placed  on  their  heads,  crushed  under  the 
cornice  or  shelves,  which  was  decidedly  ugly 
as  well  as  absurd.  With  these  figures, 
perhaps  more  than  with  any  others,  freedom 
combined  with  inevitableness  are  necessary 
to  success  in  design. 

In  England  the  Tudor  period  was  rather 
unhappy  in  this  respect.  While  the  carya- 
tides and  atlantes  were  but  sparingly  utilised, 


82  CHIMNEYPIECES 

termini  swarmed  in  most  specimens.  In 
single  chimneypieces  one  may  have  two,  or 
a  couple  of  pairs  of  termini  adorning  the 
jambs,  two  more  on  a  large  scale  framing 
the  overmantel,  while  smaller  ones  are  stuck 
on  every  pilaster  dividing  the  many  panels. 
Too  often  these  are,  as  we  said,  a  meaning- 
less excrescence,  not  a  natural  growth  of  the 
design  or  particular  member.  They  are,  also, 
usually  heavy,  uncouth  in  execution  as  well 
as  ugly  in  design,  the  satyr  type  prevailing. 
The  terminals,  too,  are  over-decorated  with 
geometrical  and  strapwork  tracery,  over 
which  is  superadded  floral  wreaths. 

In  later,  more  direct  return  to  an  earlier 
and  better  period  of  classic  art,  a  severer 
type  of  pillar  figures  was  adopted.  We 
come  to  the  chaste  nudities  of  a  Primaticcio, 
the  elegancies  of  a  Caffieri,  but  also  to  quite 
happy,  rather  naughty,  but  certainly  inter- 
loping cherubs  of  Grinling  Gibbons,  sporting, 
no  one  knows  why,  amidst  the  flowers  and 
fruits  which  hang,  equally  without  the  key- 
note of  inevitableness,  over  and  on  the  sides 
of  fireplaces.  This  phase  was  quite  as  bad 
as  the  lavish  peppering  of  small  high  relief 
carved  figures  or  little  statuettes  of  the 
previous  generations. 


HUMAN  FIGURES  83 

In  these  days  we  do  not  bother  much 
about  figures  in  the  designing  of  our  chimney- 
pieces,  but  when  we  do,  it  is  to  the  ideas  of 
a  Primaticcio,  of  a  Caffieri,  of  a  Pilon,  or 
an  Alfred  Stevens,  that  we  should  give  heed. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE   TUDOR   PERIOD. 

In  architecture  the  Tudor  period  covers  a 
wide  space  of  time  and  many  varieties, 
though  it  possesses  a  well  defined  general 
character.  In  its  earlier  stages,  which  may, 
indeed,  be  traced  as  far  back  as  the  middle 
of  the  15th  century — for  like  "Gothic"  the 
term  is  merely  a  convenient  label,  invented 
"after  the  event"  rather  to  describe  a 
tendency  than  a  bare  chronological  fact — it 
was  a  softening  of  the  ruder  forms  of  the 
prevailing  style  in  order  to  secure  domestic 
comfort.  We  may  see  in  it  the  result  of  an 
intellectual  as  well  as  a  material  revolution, 
an  awakening,  for  it  marked  the  rapid  de- 
cadence of  feudalism,  the  spreading  of  the 
base  of  social  stability  as  a  result  of  the 
growth  of  the  city,  the  rise  of  the  petty 
gentry  and  the  greater  prosperity  among  the 
yeomanry. 

84 


Dining  Room,  Loseley,  near  Guildfopd. 


THE  TUDOR  PERIOD  85 

Few  things  are  at  once  so  amusing  and 
so  instructive  as  to  watch  the  struggles  of 
the  heads  of  one  social  layer  to  attach 
themselves  to  the  tail  of  a  higher  one. 
Wherever  and  whenever  this  tendency  is 
most  active,  then  and  there  will  intellectual 
effort  be  most  active,  there  and  then  will 
come  material  prosperity,  and  there  and 
then  will  the  existence  of  a  really  exclusive 
aristocracy  become  more  difficult.  The 
Tudor  spirit  marked  just  such  a  restless 
stirring.  In  architecture  the  baronial  castle 
had  become  an  anachronism,  the  rustic  build- 
ing and  narrow  town  rabbit-warren  imposs- 
ibilities to  men  who  felt  themselves  members 
of  a  commonwealth.  The  Tudor  style  with 
its  richness,  variety,  occasional  vulgarities, 
but  at  bottom  solid  and  sensible,  admirably 
represented  this  evolution ;  we  stand  aside 
and  witness  a  flattening  out  of  the  Gothic 
as  applied  to  domestic  requirements.  It 
was  a  spontaneous  growth,  touched  by  just 
that  leaning  to  heterogeneity  one  might  look 
for  from  a  conglomerate  people  with  so  strong 
an  assimilative  power  as  the  English. 

With  reference  to  the  spread  of  comfort 
in  the  matter  of  buildings,  we  may  cite  the 
oft-quoted  passage  from  Harrison's  view  of 

G 


S6  CHIMNEYPIECES 

England  prefacing  Holinshed's  Chronicles. 
He  is  writing  of  the  early  decades  of  the 
1 6th  century  and  says: — "There  are  old 
men  yet  dwelling  in  the  village  where  I 
remaine  which  have  noted  three  things  to 
be  marvellously  altred  in  England  within 
their  sound  remembrance  ;  other  three  things 
too  too  much  increased.  One  is  the  multi- 
tude of  chimnies  laterlie  erected,  whereas  in 
their  young  dales  there  were  not  above  two 
or  three,  if  so  manie,  in  most  uplandish 
townes  of  the  realme  (the  religious  houses 
and  manour  places  of  their  lords  alwaies  ex- 
cepted, and  peradventure  some  great  per- 
sonages) but  ech  one  made  his  fire  against  a 
reredosse  in  the  hall,  where  he  dined  and 
dressed  his  meat." 

It  is  to  be  remembered  that  he  is  referring 
to  chimneys,  not  fireplaces  ;  for  the  latter  did 
not  always  connote  the  former,  and  his 
notable  exceptions  must  not  be  overlooked. 
But  there  we  have  a  just  enough  measure 
of  the  prevailing  degree  of  domestic  comfort. 
New  houses,  however,  were  being  built,  and 
above  all  they  were  being  better  equipped, 
not  least  with  good  fireplaces  and  proper 
chimneys. 

As  for  the  flattening  out  process,  this  was 


THE  TUDOR  PERIOD  ?>7 

promptly  and  vigorously  applied  to  chimney- 
pieces.  Far  projecting,  draught-compelling 
hoods  were  discarded.  Hearths  were  re- 
cessed well  into  the  walls,  for  better  chim- 
neys made  drawing  easier  ;  while,  plastering 
and  panelling  becoming  general,  there  was 
the  less  need  for  the  cosy  fireplace  roomlet 
within  a  hall.  By  flattening  the  jambs 
and  chimney  breasts  more  space  was  secured, 
as  well  as  greater  harmony  with  other  decor- 
ative features.  Yet  the  fireplace  lost  nothing 
of  its  importance  or  dignity,  indeed  its  orna- 
mentation received  a  fresh  impetus  and  grew 
apace. 

Presently  the  Renaissance  influence  was 
felt,  though  it  was  slow  in  coming  to  us.  It 
was  received  rather  with  condescension  than 
with  open  arms,  certain  of  the  features  of 
the  new  art  being  adapted  to  our  own  style. 
Not  unnaturally  it  was  the  richness  and 
grotesqueness  of  arabesques  that  attracted, 
rather  than  the  severer  beauty  of  the  Greek 
and  Roman  orders.  The  arabesque  was, 
after  all,  allied  to  a  certain  lighter  side  of 
Gothic,  and  so  an  exuberance  of  grotesque- 
ness grew  up,  tawdry  and  meaningless 
enough,  but  perhaps  in  closer  touch  with 
Nature  and  more  wholesome  than  the  ex- 


88  CHIMNEYPIECES 

acerbated  Imaginings  of  the  decadent  schools 
on  the  Continent.  In  connection  with  chim- 
neypiece  adornment,  the  well-proportioned 
column  with  base  and  capital  had  less 
attraction  than  the  pilaster,  often  of  the 
diminishing  type,  its  face  scarred  with  some- 
what superfluous  scrollwork.  The  grace  of 
caryatides  and  power  of  atlantes  were  apt 
to  be  passed  over  in  favour  of  the  termini, 
which  lent  themselves  to  grotesque  treat- 
ment, and  somehow  or  other  appeared  to 
blend  with  the  geometric  flat  ribbon  or  strap 
type  of  decoration.  This  strapwork,  which 
was  a  legacy  derived  in  the  first  instance 
from  Celtic  sources,  from  the  pargetters  and 
so  handsomely  developed  by  the  plasterers, 
entered  largely  into  the  designs  of  carvers 
both  of  stone  and  wood. 

At  the  first  stages  of  the  style  under  con- 
sideration stone  was  in  general  request.  It 
was  part  of  the  tradition.  Then,  towards 
the  middle  of  the  i6th  century,  no  doubt  as 
a  result  of  panelling  walls,  wood  came  into 
favour,  sometimes  for  the  whole  visible  parts 
of  the  structure,  at  other  times  merely  for 
the  architrave  ;  while  much  later  there  was  a 
lining  of  stone,  thin  jambs,  and  light  lintel, 
entirely  framed  with  carved  wood.     Plaster 


THE  TUDOR  PERIOD  89 

was  also  sometimes  called  into  service,  though 
this  was  nearly  always  in  combination  with 
wood  employed  in  the  entablature,  the  fire- 
place frame  itself  being  of  stone. 

Here  and  there  the  old  simplicity  of  outline 
and  treatment  of  surfaces  persisted ;  for  in- 
stance in  passage  galleries,  as  in  some  parts 
of  Windsor  Castle,  in  domestic  offices,  as  in 
the  kitchens  in  Hampton  Court  Palace.  As 
a  rule,  however,  all  surfaces,  whether  flat  or 
round,  received  lavish  decoration.  This  was 
the  case  with  pillars  and  pilasters,  but  we  do 
not  find  the  geometrical  mouldings  them- 
selves charged  with  running  floral  sprigs  as 
in  ceiling  and  mural  plasterwork  of  the  same 
period. 

This  over-elaboration,  which,  as  we  have 
acknowledged,  often  sounded  a  note  of  vul- 
garity, was  to  produce  a  reaction.  John 
Britton,  who  was  not  an  admirer  of  the 
period,  writing  about  the  Queen  Elizabeth 
fireplace  in  Windsor  Castle,  speaks  with 
contempt  of  *'  the  shell-roofed  niche,  gro- 
tesque pilasters  with  caryatides,  etc.,  columns 
having  lower  parts  covered  with  foliage,  and 
upper  parts  fluted,  with  a  jumbled  mixture 
of  cherubims,  birds  and  lions'  heads,  armorial 
bearings,   mythological  hieroglyphics,   etc.," 


90  CHIMNEYPIECES 

which  "  composed  the  heterogeneous  designs 
for  the  chimneypiece."  The  particular  ex- 
ample, no  doubt,  was  not  the  happiest  of  the 
kind,  though  it  has  its  merits,  and  certainly 
the  general  condemnation  is  far  too  sweep- 
ing. This  very  piece  is  reproduced  by  Pugin 
among  his  typical  Gothic  work,  and  it  is 
amusing  to  contrast  his  appreciation  with  the 
tempestuous  diatribe  of  the  earlier  scribe. 
According  to  the  great  Gothic  revivalist,  it 
is  "impossible  to  deny  the  grand  effect  of 
this  elaborate  composition,  though  nothing 
could  be  more  misapplied  than  the  Doric 
triglyphs  and  Ionic  columns  which  appear 
amongst  the  principal  features.  The  most 
striking  fault  was  committed  in  placing  two 
such  little  spindling  pilasters  under  the  huge 
mass  of  ponderous  ornaments.  We  know 
that  they  really  have  nothing  to  support,  but 
to  the  eye  they  appear  loaded  with  the  whole 
work."  This  use  of  the  spindling  pilaster, 
however,  was  quite  characteristic  of  the 
classic  irruption  into  Tudor  Gothic,  and 
must  be  accepted  as  a  vital  symbol  of  a  real 
mental  twist,  showing  itself  in  that  love  of 
attitudinising  which  we  see  even  in  an 
Elizabeth  or  a  Raleigh,  that  willingness  to 
place  the  satyric  on  a  decked-out  pedestal, 


THE  TUDOR  PERIOD  91 

not  only  in  literature  and  art,  but  in  actual 
practice,  as  we  see  differently  expressed  by 
Henri  of  Navarre  and  the  eighth  Henry  of 
England.  The  chimneypiece  immediately 
under  review  is  a  huge  affair,  the  fireplace 
opening  being  6  feet  5  inches,  while  the 
lower  part  and  entablature  towers  up  over 
ten  feet.  The  decoration  is  largely  heraldic, 
with  strapwork  background,  the  crowned 
falcon  of  Anne  Boleyn  appearing  on  the 
pedestal  of  the  upper  order,  the  falcon, 
heraldic  tiger,  the  de  Bohun  swan,  the 
Tudor  Red  Dragon  of  Wales  in  the  metope 
of  the  Doric  frieze.  Elaborate  carvings 
appear  on  the  bases  of  the  columns,  and  the 
pilasters,  wondrously  spindled  and  outlined, 
with  lions'  heads,  drapery,  and  bunches  of 
vegetation,  are  thoroughly  unclassical — Re- 
naissance run  mad.  But  there  is  the  ground- 
plan  soberness  of  the  splendid  strapwork, 
and  the  vigorous  handling  of  all  carved 
decoration. 

As  an  antidote  to  this  we  may  describe, 
though  rather  out  of  their  chronological 
order,  the  specimens  already  referred  to  as 
existing  at  Windsor  and  Hampton  Court. 
In  the  former  place  we  have  in  one  of  the 
galleries   two   charmingly  unobtrusive  fire- 


92  CHIMNEYPIECES 

places,  attributed  to  the  reign  of  Henry 
VIII.  The  stone  jambs  and  lintels,  with 
plain  mouldings,  are  flush  with  the  walls, 
the  lintels  being  in  the  form  of  slightly 
pointed  arches,  or  straight  and  crenelated, 
marked,  as  we  have  said,  with  plain  mould- 
ings. In  the  small  pendentives  thus  formed 
are  floral  sprigs.  The  mouldings  and  scroll- 
work differ  in  each  case,  though  the  general 
outlines  are  identical,  and  remind  one  of  the 
beautiful  Gothic  work  of  the  same  approxi- 
mate date  in  St.  George's  Chapel.  At 
Hampton  Court,  in  the  older  part  of  the 
Palace,  are  huge  kitchens,  assigned  to  Car- 
dinal Wolsey's  time.  Here  are  to  be  seen 
huge  fireplaces,  recessed  in  the  thick  walls, 
with  upward  sloping  backs,  and  outlined  by 
great  blocks  of  dressed  stone.  The  openings 
are  very  wide,  with  short  straight  jambs, 
supporting  slightly  pointed  arches.  In  one 
case  there  is  a  large  upright  keystone.  The 
stone  arches  are  outlined  by  a  course  of 
bricks  placed  on  end.  This  is  the  persistent 
monastic  type,  already  met  with  in  the  Dur- 
ham Convent  kitchen. 

We  will  pass  on  to  the  consideration  of 
other  typical  examples,  mostly  to  be  found 
in  the  positions  where  they  were  originally 


Haddon   Hall,   Derbyshire. 


THE  TUDOR  PERIOD  93 

erected.  Of  some  of  these  we  give  illus- 
trations. 

Our  first  example  is  from  Weston  Hall, 
Warwickshire,  and  is  dated  1545.  It  is  a 
great  structure,  13  feet  6  inches  high,  of 
carved  oak.  The  jambs  are  tapering  Ionic 
pilasters,  moderately  carved,  supporting  an 
elaborate  entablature.  The  frieze  is  sup- 
ported by  long,  tapering  Ionic  pilasters, 
placed  on  high  pedestals.  These  pilasters 
are  carved  with  foliated  ornaments  and  the 
family  crest — a  sheldrake.  The  frieze,  which 
is  divided  up  into  arched  panels  by  a  series 
of  small  caryatides  supporting  a  continued 
cornice,  is  adorned  with  portraits  of  courtiers 
of  Henry  VIII.  Over  the  lintel  are  two  re- 
cessed arched  niches  and  an  armorial  shield. 
The  general  design  is  classic,  but  the  detailed 
decoration  distinctly  Tudor.  The  fireplace 
furniture  belongs  to  a  much  later  date. 

This  use  of  armorial  insignia  and  of 
portraits  connecting  the  owner  with  his 
particular  duties  in  life  are  quite  character- 
istic of  the  age,  and  show  the  important 
position  occupied  by  fireplaces  in  the  social 
economy  of  the  time.  Many  of  these 
'•  storied  "  chimneypieces  have  a  genealogical 
or  personal    interest,   in   a    more    intimate 


^  CHIMNEYPIECES 

fashion  than  the  royal  examples  already 
described,  and  even  than  those  having  an 
armorial  shield  or  two  in  prominent  parts. 
They  have  something  more  personal  to  show  ; 
in  a  humbler  fashion  they  may  be  compared 
to  that  at  Bruges,  which  tells  its  tale  in  an 
inimitably  grand  way. 

These  "storied"  chimneypieces  form  quite 
a  delightful  class.  Take,  for  instance,  that 
celebrated  one  at  Speke  Hall,  belonging 
to  the  year  1564.  The  overmantel  is  broad, 
but  rather  low,  and  divided  into  panels  by 
dainty  carved  pilasters.  On  the  frieze 
painted  canvas  was  stretched,  giving  the 
pedigree  of  the  Norris  family.  In  the  centre 
panel  a  family  party  was  rudely  carved. 
William  Norris  and  his  two  wives  (as  a 
matter  of  fact  he  married  them  successively 
in  the  orthodox  fashion)  sat  behind  a  table, 
while  their  nineteen  children  stand  in  front. 
Other  figures  were  carved  on  the  side  panels. 
Then  at  Barlborough,  Derbyshire,  we  find  a 
handsomely  carved  stone  chimneypiece, 
having  coupled  Corinthian  columns  with 
fluted  shafts  supporting  the  lintel ;  above  are 
two  richly  carved  pedestals  on  which  stand 
two  caryatides,  one  representing  Justice. 
Now  the  owner,  Rodes,  was  a  Justice  of  the 


THE  TUDOR  PERIOD  95 

Common  Pleas.  Three  shields  bear  respect- 
ively his  own  arms  and  those  of  his  two  wives. 
Of  the  heraldic  variety  we  have  a  good 
example  at  Haddon  Hall,  Derbyshire.  It 
is  in  the  Great  Hall,  and  specially  designed 
to  impress  visitors.  The  arms  of  the  builder, 
Bess  of  Hardwick,  Countess  of  Shrewsbury, 
appear  in  a  lozenge,  crowned  with  a  coronet 
and  supported  by  two  rampant  greyhounds. 
Curiously  enough,  in  spite  of  the  shield 
being  ensigned  with  the  Countess's  coronet, 
the  bearings  are  her  paternal  arms,  which 
piece  of  heraldic  incongruity  is  quite  char- 
acteristic of  that  vigorous  dame.  The  arms 
are  a  beautiful  piece  of  work,  strongly  carved. 
Unfortunately,  the  blending  with  the  sur- 
rounding is  not  so  happy  as  is  usually  the 
case  with  Tudor  treatment.  The  drapery 
on  the  outside  scroll  with  small  medallions, 
and  the  small  swags  with  pendant  fruit  in 
the  frieze,  distract  the  attention,  though  the 
use  of  the  cartouche  is  excellent.  In  the 
same  house  there  is  another  colossal  structure 
about  18  ft.  high  by  12  ft.  wide.  It  is  of 
white  and  coloured  marbles,  rather  severely 
treated,  there  being  little  ornament  except 
the  circular  frame  and  statue  in  the  centre  of 
the  overmantel. 


96  CHIMNEYPIECES 

In  the  old  Manor  House,  Sheffield,  there 
was  formerly  a  room,  locally  supposed  to 
have  been  a  prison  for  Mary  Queen  of 
Scots,  with  a  richly  moulded  plaster  ceiling 
and  frieze.  The  chimneypiece  reached  from 
floor  to  ceiling,  and  was  almost  flush  with 
the  wall.  The  hearth  was  raised  ;  the  jambs 
of  stone,  slightly  chamfered,  the  heavy  lintel 
with  moulded  edge  being  supported  by  an 
arch,  the  pendentives  filled  with  foliage. 
Above  this  were  two  handsome  Corinthian 
columns,  with  bases,  plain  shafts,  and 
acanthus  capitals.  The  whole  panel  between 
was  occupied  by  a  coroneted  coat-of-arms 
between  two  supporters.  Precisely  the  same 
treatment  is  seen  in  the  huge  specimen  in 
the  picture  gallery  at  Cobham  Hall,  near 
Rochester.  The  fireplace  is  framed  by  two 
termini,  but  the  upper  part  is  monopolised 
by  the  large,  boldly  carved  coat-of-arms, 
coroneted,  with  two  supporters  and  sur- 
rounded by  splendidly  flowing  lambrequin. 
In  the  drawing-room  at  Glamis  Castle  there 
is  a  very  large  carved  stone  fireplace.  The 
jambs  are  straight  pilasters,  panelled,  having 
raised  mouldings  with  strong  capitals,  and 
are  carried  up  to  the  rounded  and  projecting, 
richly  carved  frieze.      The  lintel  is  in  two 


THE  TUDOR  PERIOD  97 

tiers,  straight  and  quite  plain,  divided  by  a 
heavy  projecting  moulding.  The  chimney 
breast  consists  of  a  panel  decorated  with 
foliage  and  flowers,  all  springing  from  two 
straight  stems  placed  between  two  pairs 
of  termini,  with  diminishing  pilasters,  the 
flutings  en  gaine^  standing  on  carved 
pedestals.  In  the  centre  there  is  a  coat- 
of-arms  with  a  richly  decorated  frame.  The 
whole  construction  has  very  little  projection. 
A  charming  feature  is  that  adjoining  the  fire- 
place is  a  deep  alcove,  with  raised  floor,  and 
large  window. 

At  Barsall,  Sussex,  we  have  a  deeply 
recessed  fireplace,  the  chimneypiece,  though 
boldly  carved,  having  hardly  any  projection. 
The  jambs  and  lintel,  which  are  flat  and 
decorated  with  panels,  are  of  stone,  the 
surround  and  overmantel  of  carved  wood. 
This  framing  consists  of  two  slender  pillars 
on  each  side,  standing  one  on  the  top  of  the 
other  on  small  bases  reaching  to  the  ceiling 
cornice.  These  columns  are  fluted  and 
decorated.  The  overmantel  is  divided  into 
three  panels  by  pilasters  covered  with  scroll- 
work, these  panels  being  filled  with  armorial 
shields.  Between  these  and  the  lintel  is 
a  panelled  frieze  in  dainty  inlaid  woodwork. 


98  CHIMNEYPIECES 

Two  interesting  examples  of  the  use  of 
plaster  are  to  be  seen  respectively  at  Little 
Moreton  Hall,  Chester,  and  at  Plas  Mawr, 
Conway.  In  the  former  case  the  fireplace 
is  deeply  recessed,  and  is  framed  with  carved 
walnut  pilasters,  with  foliated  capitals ;  the 
lintel  frieze  is  also  decorated  with  foliage 
conventionally  treated.  Above  this  is  a 
shelf  with  elaborate  mouldings,  supporting 
two  crudely  moulded  plaster  figures  of  Justice 
and  Science,  standing  on  pedestals.  The 
central  panel,  with  egg  moulding,  contains  a 
quartered  shield  surrounded  by  lambrequin. 
The  frieze  and  cornice  are  well  moulded  and 
highly  decorated.  At  Plas  Mawr  the  fire- 
place in  the  entrance  hall  is  surrounded  by 
a  stone  framing,  the  broad,  straight  lintel 
being  composed  of  large  stones,  curiously 
joggled,  the  stones  being  cut  alternately  with 
two  large  semi-circular  swellings  at  the  sides, 
and  with  two  corresponding  depressions.  It 
gives  the  impression  of  a  balustrade.  The 
overmantel  in  plaster  is  of  a  particularly 
elaborate  character.  There  are  six  quite 
graceful  termini,  five  coats-of-arms,  a  lion, 
and  a  crowned  ^eur  de  lis,  besides  floral 
decorations.  In  the  drawing-room  above  a 
similarly  rude   stone  framing  is   some  fine 


<-=??>- 


Gover-nop's  Parlour,  Chapterhouse,  London. 


THE  TUDOR  PERIOD  99 

plasterwork,  the  centre  panel  bein^  framed 
by  two  termini  supporting  a  carved  cornice. 
The  panel  contains,  moulded  in  plaster,  a 
Tudor  rose  within  a  Garter,  and  the  letters 
E.R.  The  details  of  the  plasterwork  blend 
with  the  similar  treatment  of  the  walls.  In 
Queen  Elizabeth's  Room  we  see  a  stone 
fireplace  with  little  moulding  and  hardly 
any  projection,  and  above  the  lintel  a  pro- 
jecting chimney  breast  of  plain  plaster 
carried  straight  up  to  the  ceiling.  These 
are  dated  1580. 

At  Wroxhall  Manor  House,  Wiltshire, 
there  is  an  elaborately  carved  stone  fireplace 
of  Renaissance  design.  It  has  two  pairs  of 
female  termini,  nude  to  the  waist.  On  the 
architrave  are  niches  sheltering  small  alle- 
gorical figures. 

At  Loseley  Hall,  near  Guildford,  we  have 
a  remarkable  carved  stone  specimen,  where 
the  struggle  between  the  Gothic  and  Renais- 
sance is  rather  two  apparent.  It  belongs  to 
the  year  1562,  is  in  the  dining-room,  and 
is  13  ft.  6  in.  high  and  proportionately 
broad,  though  with  but  small  projection. 
The  jambs  are  decorated  with  lions'  masks, 
with  swags  of  flowers  and  leaves  in 
their    mouths.       These    are     flanked     by 


100  CHIMNEYPIECES 

coupled  Corinthian  columns,  with  acanthus 
capitals. 

Shaw  gives  particulars  of  an  oak  chimney- 
piece  that  existed  in  the  drawing-room  of  a 
house  built  in  1596  on  the  Yarmouth  Quay. 
It  was  well  designed,  simple  in  outline,  but 
with  elaborately  carved  decorations.  Coupled 
Corinthian  columns  supported  the  lintel  and 
shelf,  and  above  these  were  termini,  ending 
in  foliage,  supporting  classic  ornaments 
symbolising  Commerce  and  Plenty.  The 
caduceus  of  Mercury  is  cleverly  combined 
with  cornucopias  in  such  a  way  as  to  form 
an  anchor.  The  upper  part  was  divided  into 
three  compartments,  surmounted  by  a  frieze 
and  cornice.  At  a  later  period  the  central 
panel  was  filled  with  a  well  designed  coat-of- 
arms  of  James  I.,  carved  in  high  relief. 

A  more  ornate  structure  was  put  up  at 
Combe  Abbey,  Warwickshire,  tradition  says 
by  Lord  Harrington  when  he  was  about 
to  receive  the  Princess  Elizabeth  under 
guardianship.  It  is  a  rectangular  con- 
struction, of  fair  projection,  reaching  from 
floor  to  ceiling,  broad  and  with  liberal 
square  opening.  Though  the  classic  in- 
fluence is  seen  especially  in  details  of  the 
architrave,   the   lower   columns   are   of  the 


THE  TUDOR  PERIOD  lOt 

fancy  shaped,  diminishing  order,  much  deco- 
rated, while  the  whole  is  covered  with  broad 
strapwork.  In  the  centre  panels  are  the 
arms  of  Henry  VIII.,  with  the  Red  Dragon 
of  Wales  as  one  of  the  supporters,  carved  on 
a  big  scale  in  high  relief. 

An  equally  marked  duality  is  seen  in  the 
Great  Gallery  at  Burton  Agnes,  Yorkshire. 
The  chimneypiece,  which  measures  about 
7  ft.  by  5  ft.,  has  a  deeply  recessed  fireplace 
framed  with  carved  stone,  surrounded  and 
topped  by  carved  wood.  The  handsome 
frieze  is  supported  by  well  formed  pilasters, 
and  above  them  are  canephori,  the  baskets 
of  fruit,  flowers  and  leaves  being  unusually 
well  proportioned,  placed  under  a  projecting 
cornice.  The  panels  are  carved  with  figures 
of  Honour,  Faith,  Hope,  Charity,  and 
Pandora,  surrounded  by  floral  scrolls.  It 
should  be  mentioned  that  this  example 
stands  in  a  gallery  115  ft.  by  23  ft.,  high  in 
proportion,  with  a  semi-circular  ceiling,  the 
whole  decorated  with  six  series  of  scrolls, 
in  the  form  of  rose  branches^  with  large 
leaves  and  blossoms. 

The  same  feeling  is  noticeable  in  the  great 
chimneypiece  in  King  William's  Room  at 
Castle  Ashby,  Northampton.     The  fireplace 

H 


162  CHIMNEYPIECES 

has  a  slight  carved  stone  surround,  the  Hntel 
bearing  the  arms  and  crest  of  the  owner. 
Framing  this  is  a  carved  oak  overmantel, 
designed  in  two  tiers,  each  having  three 
niches  sheltering  figures  of  Pandora,  Justice, 
Temperance,  Faith,  Hope,  and  Charity. 
The  panels  are  carved  en  cartouche  fecourbSe. 
In  the  panelled  hall  of  the  same  mansion 
there  is  another  big  fireplace,  with  quite 
plain  slender  marble  jambs  and  lintel,  and 
an  elaborate  carved  oak  surround,  with  two 
termini  supporting  a  shelf,  above  which  are 
niches  with  Corinthian  columns  and  shell 
backs,  sheltering  two  statuettes.  The  central 
panel  is  filled  with  arabesques,  and  we  also 
see  an  armorial  shield. 

At  the  Victoria  and  Albert  Museum  there 
is  a  chimney  piece  of  the  Elizabethan  era 
brought  from  Great  St.  Helens,  City.  The 
overmantel  has  panels  with  heavy  raised 
mouldings,  and  three  carefully  proportioned 
Corinthian  columns.  Another  carved  stone 
and  oak  specimen  from  Enfield  is  to  be 
noted. 

Harrison's  reference  to  chimneys  in  Eng- 
land at  the  opening  of  the  i6th  century  has 
been  quoted  at  the  beginning  of  this  chapter. 
Although  it  is  really  outside  the  scope  of 


THE  TUDOR  PERIOD  103 

this  book  to  discuss  the  subject  (one  fully 
deserving  a  small  monograph),  it  is  impos- 
sible to  neglect  the  matter  altogether.  We 
are  still  sadly  oppressed  by  the  tyranny 
of  the  hideous  19th  century  chimneypot, 
ugly  in  its  nakedness,  hideous  when  cowled ; 
we  have  every  reason  to  look  back  with 
appreciation  if  not  with  envy  some  300  years 
or  more.  The  treatment  of  the  chimney 
shaft,  stack  and  top,  is  thoroughly  typical  of 
the  period  and  nation ;  it  is  the  outward 
manifestation  of  combining  decoration  with 
solid  comfort  that  we  see  in  the  design  and 
execution  of  the  chimneypiece.  They  were 
usually  built  of  red  brick,  of  fine  dimensions, 
boldly  carried  up,  never  shamefacedly  masked, 
for  they  were  things  of  utility  beautified. 
Their  number  on  the  roofs  of  large  Manor 
Houses  is  astonishing,  only  less  so  than  the 
easy  variety  shown.  At  Compton  Wynyates, 
built  in  the  second  year  of  Henry  VHI.,  and 
at  Hampton  Court  Palace,  we  see  a  great 
many,  standing  out  boldly,  and  each  one 
differently  treated.  At  Hampton  Court  the 
decorations  are  geometrical ;  the  bodies  of 
the  tops,  under  projecting  cornices,  are 
masses  of  tracery  carried  out  in  carved 
bricks — squares,  diamonds,  lozenges,  zig-zags 


104  CHIMNEYPIECES 

and  wavy  lines.  At  East  Barsham  the  great 
brick  chimneys  are  decorated  heraldically, 
lions  rampant  on  one,  fleur  de  lis  on  another 
in  a  trelliswork  of  crossed  lines,  all  carved 
out  of  brick.  The  tops  are  circular,  square, 
octagonal,  but  are  all  treated  as  not  in- 
considerable parts  of  a  building.  Oc- 
casionally we  see  such  daring  eccentricities 
as  at  Aston  Bury,  with  its  great  stacks 
placed  on  each  side,  and  towering  above,  a 
gabled  end  pierced  by  a  dormer  window. 
At  Great  Cressingham  Manor  House,  Nor- 
folk, we  find  the  huge  solid  stacks  springing 
from  the  ground  floor,  the  octagonal  sides  or- 
namented with  recessed  niches  with  multifoil 
arches,  and  ending  in  twin  octagonal  decorated 
tops.  This  outstanding  boldness  is  all  the 
more  curious  because  with  the  chimneypiece 
itself  the  tendency  was  to  reduce  projection 
as  much  as  possible  without  abandoning 
monumental  treatment,  but  it  demonstrates 
how  practical  utility  was  the  guiding  prin- 
ciple of  the  Tudor  builders. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

THE   JACOBEAN. 

The  Jacobean  is  really  an  extension  of  the 
Tudor  style,  but  more  decidedly  marked  by 
the  Renaissance  movement,  and  betraying 
something  of  Flemish  influence.  There  are 
no  signs  of  falling  off  in  the  attention  paid  to 
fireplaces.  We  have  numerous  splendid  ex- 
amples existing. 

It  is  perhaps  fitting  to  begin  our  descrip- 
tions with  Hatfield  House,  the  magnificent 
Hertfordshire  seat  of  the  Cecils.  There  are 
quite  a  large  number  here,  but  we  will  con- 
tent ourselves  with  giving  details  of  three 
typical  examples  of  a  transition  style.  In 
the  Marble  Dining  Hall  the  chimneypiece  is 
of  carved  oak,  has  a  fair  projection  and 
stands  about  14  ft.  high.  It  has  termini 
pilasters,  with  fan -shaped  niches,  and  the 
decoration  is  mostly  broad  strapwork  of  the 
105 


io6  CHIMNEYPIECES 

best  Tudor  period.  In  the  Drawing  Room 
we  have  a  grand  monument  in  marble,  with 
quite  moderate  projection  for  so  large  a 
structure.  It  is  mainly  white,  with  black 
classic  columns,  and  red  and  white  panels. 
Over  a  broad  shelf  there  is  a  deep  niche,  in 
which  stands  a  life-size  bronze  statue  of 
James  I.  in  regal  robes.  There  is  a  rather 
heavy  pediment  with  two  medallion  portraits. 
In  the  Library  there  is  a  somewhat  severe 
white  marble  chimneypiece,  in  two  tiers, 
with  black  classic  columns,  and  coloured 
marble  panels.  In  the  centre  of  the  breast 
there  is  a  large  panel  containing  a  portrait 
of  Sir  Robert  Cecil,  builder  of  Hatfield,  in 
coloured  mosaic.  Another  monumental  ex- 
ample in  white  and  coloured  marble  is  to  be 
found  in  the  Long  Gallery. 

Marble  of  different  colours  is  again  used 
in  the  case  of  the  immense  chimneypiece  in 
the  drawing-room  at  Bramshill  House,  dating 
back  to  1603,  but  here  we  have  an  admixture 
of  oak  panels,  plain,  except  for  the  strong 
mouldings,  and  also  oak  ribs.  The  lower 
portion  is  Doric,  the  upper  Ionic.  The 
classic  rather  than  the  Renaissance  is  the 
strong  influence  in  this  instance.  Although 
the  entablature  is  heavy  and  in  rather  too 


■■/S"'y-w5^--    ^- 


English  17th  Century  from   Norwich. 


French   18th  Century  Marb'e  and  Ormoulu. 


THE  JACOBEAN  107 

great  a  contrast  to  the  lower  part,  it  har- 
monises well  with  the  wall  panelling  and  the 
very  elaborate  plaster  moulded  ceiling. 

In  the  carved  oak  specimen  in  the  dining- 
room  at  Blickling  Hall,  Norfolk,  the  later 
Renaissance  influence  is  apparent,  although 
the  decoration  is  largely  heraldic  in  char- 
acter. Nevertheless,  thanks  mainly  to  the 
freely  foliated  character  of  the  flowing  lam- 
brequin, and  to  the  unusually  floral  treat- 
ment of  the  shields,  there  is  quite  a  good 
blending  with  the  neo-classic  details,  and 
in  this  respect  it  is  a  creditable  and  in- 
structive specimen. 

Holland  House,  Kensington,  appears  to 
have  been  designed  by  John  Thorpe,  the 
builder  of  Kirby  Hall,  Northants,  but  Sir 
Walter  Cope  only  set  about  the  erection  in 
1606,  and  most  of  the  internal  decorations 
belong  to  a  later  date,  being  carried  out  by 
his  son-in-law,  Henry  Rich,  Earl  of  Holland, 
who  employed  Francis  Cleyn  among  others.  x 

Several  of  the  chimneypieces  are  worthy  of 
note.  In  the  Gilt  Room  there  are  two 
chimneypieces,  said  to  be  the  work  of  Cleyn, 
placed  on  each  side  of  a  doorway  and  almost 
flush  with  the  other  wall  decorations.  The 
jambs   consist   of  coupled  columns  painted 


io8  CHIMNEYPIECES 

black,  resting  on  blue  pedestals,  the  bases 
and  capitals  being  gilt.  These  support  a 
narrow  lintel  and  shelf.  Above  these  are 
coupled  columns  of  Siena  marble,  also  with 
gilt  ornaments  on  lower  part  of  shafts,  bases 
and  capitals.  The  more  prominent  mould- 
ings and  flutings  are  also  gilt.  The  cima 
recta  of  the  great  entablature  is  decorated 
with  leaves  and  golden  acorns.  Much  of 
the  ornamentation  is  in  gold,  shaded  with 
bistre,  and  is  placed  on  dark  blue  grounds. 
On  the  left  chimneypiece  are  the  arms  of 
Charles  I.  and  over  the  right  those  of  the 
Prince  of  Wales.  Other  heraldic  ornaments 
are  the  cross-crosslets  and  fleur  de  lis  of  the 
Copes  and  Riches.  In  the  Great  Room  we 
see  two  tall  Corinthian  columns,  with  gilt 
bases  and  capitals  flanking  the  fireplace  and 
supporting  respectively  the  cross-crosslets  of 
the  Copes  and  xh^  fleur  de  lis  of  the  Riches. 
In  the  Yellow  Drawing  Room  and  the  Blue 
Room  the  designs  are  again  classical,  the 
colourings  being  respectively  sea  green  with 
pink  and  gold  and  neutral  tint  embellish- 
ments, and  white  and  gold  with  medallions 
in  neutral  tints.  In  the  Ancient  Parlour  we 
have  a  chimneypiece  that  may  possibly  be 
due  to  the  pencil  of  Thorpe,  for  it  is  thor- 


THE  JACOBEAN  109 

oughly  in  the  Tudor  spirit.  Here  there 
is  considerable  projection,  though  the  fire- 
place is  also  recessed,  The  structure  is 
carried  up  rectangularly  from  floor  to 
ceiling.  The  jambs  are  flat  pilasters, 
ornamented  with  strapwork.  The  entabla- 
ture consists  of  panels  with  raised 
mouldings,  flanked  by  Corinthian  columns 
supporting  an  enriched  frieze  and  pro- 
jecting cornice. 

A  drawing  has  come  down  to  us  of 
a  fireplace  in  the  Duke's  House,  Brad- 
ford, Wiltshire,  which  was  erected  by 
the  Duke  of  Kingston  in  the  reign 
of  James  I.  It  was  recessed,  with 
upward  slanting  back  and  square  opening, 
the  lintel  very  broad,  with  coupled 
Corinthian  columns,  supporting  a  good 
frieze  and  projecting  cornice.  Over  this 
were  a  pair  of  coupled  columns,  with 
well  formed  capitals  supporting  a  projecting 
cornice.  On  the  central  panel  was  an 
elaborately  carved  frame  enclosing  an  ar- 
morial shield. 

In  the  Victoria  and  Albert  Museum  we 
have  several  specimens  of  this  period,  whose 
peculiar  interest  lies  in  the  combination  of 
stone  and  wood  ;   stone  jambs  and  lintels, 


no  CHIMNEYPIECES 

generally  very  slender,  usually  with  plain 
mouldings  framing  the  fireplaces,  with  carved 
oak  overmantels.  One  of  these,  dated  1606, 
has  a  rather  broad  lintel  decorated  with  birds, 
beasts,  and  flowers.  The  carved  oak  over- 
mantel, supported  by  fancifully  modelled 
diminishing  pilasters,  with  diminutive  cary- 
atic  busts,  has,  on  a  central  panel,  between 
Ionic  columns,  the  arms  of  James  I.,  with  a 
shell-backed  niche  on  each  side  and  a  scroll- 
work pediment.  The  raised  strapwork  on 
the  carved  base  just  above  the  lintel  is 
excellent.  In  a  pair  brought  from  Lime 
Street,  and  dated  1620,  the  lower  part  of 
stone,  the  jambs  and  lintels  are  slender  and 
quite  plain,  but  the  oak  overmantels  have 
panels  with  good  raised  mouldings  and  over- 
hanging cornices. 

With  the  advance  of  the  century  the  in- 
creasing influence  of  classic  design  made 
itself  felt.  Inigo  Jones  was  at  work,  and 
his  taste  was  nearer  ancient  art  than  the 
later  exponents  of  the  Renaissance.  He 
designed  many  chimneypieces,  both  the 
simple  and  the  continued  classes,  that  is 
those  merely  forming  a  frame  to  the  fire- 
place, and  having  concealed  breasts,  and 
those  with  a  superstructure  or  overmantel. 


THE  JACOBEAN  in 

It  will  be  seen  from  the  pictures  of  his  work 
which  we  give  that  he  did  not  care  for  over- 
emphasis .  H  is  chimneypieces  were  moderate 
in  size,  having  slight  projection,  square  open- 
ings, and  fairly  pure  classic  members.  He 
preferred  the  pilaster  to  the  pillar,  at  all 
events  for  the  jambs,  this  mainly  to  secure 
his  flat  panel  effects.  The  fanciful  shaping 
and  decoration  of  the  Tudor  era  was  dis- 
carded in  favour  of  plain  mouldings  or 
flutings,  lions'  masks,  and  reasonable  slender 
swag-garlands  and  sprays.  He  was  fond 
of  the  running  line  patterns,  undulating  and 
voluted  wave  forms.  Keeping  well  in  mind 
the  laws  of  proportion  guiding  classic  builders 
(but  not  in  the  matter  of  chimneypieces), 
Jones  restricted  breadth  as  well  as  projection. 
Many  of  his  examples,  especially  of  the  con- 
tinued class,  have  the  appearance  to  English 
eyes  of  being  skimpy,  and  when  the  favourite 
well  developed  pediment  was  employed,  even 
top-heavy.  Where  perhaps  he  excelled  was 
in  keeping  the  decoration  down  in  harmony 
with  the  severity  of  his  general  outlines. 
For  this  reason  his  simple  fireplaces  are 
more  satisfying  than  his  continued  chimney- 
pieces, as  they  were  a  comprehensible  way  of 
treating  a  problem  of  utility,  and  allowed 


112  CHIMNEYPIECES 

plenty  of  freedom  for  mural  decoration.  On 
the  other  hand,  the  continued  treatment 
raised  expectations  which  are  not  satisfied, 
as  they  were  by  the  Gothic  or  the  Tudor 
styles. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


LATER   RENAISSANCE. 


On  the  whole,  the  Renaissance  movement 
in  the  hands  of  men  of  the  i6th  and  17th 
centuries  resulted,  so  far  as  our  immediate 
interest  is  concerned,  in  a  decided  incoher- 
ence of  design  and  incongruity  of  decoration. 
On  the  Continent  this  early  led  to  a  mingling 
of  materials,  partly  in  order  to  secure  poly- 
chromatic effects,  but  chiefly  as  a  direct 
outcome  of  that  exuberance  of  ornamentation 
already  noted.  With  us  the  influences  at 
work  abroad  were  slower  to  make  themselves 
felt,  and  perhaps  our  incoherence  never  quite 
reached  the  licence  it  did  with  our  masters. 
But  while  we  retained  some  degree  of  sober- 
ness, we  failed  to  catch  the  lightness,  the 
elegance,  that  we  find  in  French  and  Italian 
work.  A  French  chimneypiece  of  the  17th 
century  is  suggestive  of  masks,  powder  puffs, 
113 


114  CHIMNEYPIECES 

and  alcoves.  In  a  word,  it  is  rather  preten- 
tious, often  decidedly  naughty,  but  always 
interesting  and  amusing.  Those  of  the 
1 8th  century  not  infrequently  have  the 
appearance  of  a  scene  from  Watteau  trans- 
formed into  precious  marbles  and  ormolu. 
They  sn^yg.  pitillantes,  like  a  goblet  of  cham- 
pagne or  a  soubrette ;  sparkling  as  nothing 
we  produced  could  be.  While  we  had  a 
Grinling  Gibbons  in  alliance  with  a  Wren, 
they  had  their  Clodion  and  their  Gouthiere 
embellishing  the  work  of  a  Mansard.  All 
the  difference  lay  there  ;  which  is  not  to  say 
that  all  the  gain  was  on  one  side.  But  the 
difference  exists,  and  is  fundamental,  account- 
ing for  failures  following  on  the  pretentious 
claims  of  a  Kent,  or  the  inanities  of  a 
Chippendale's  Orientalism.  There  is  always 
danger  in  playing  the  sedulous  ape,  and  the 
trouble  with  us,  at  all  events  during  the  i8th 
century,  was  that  we  were  obsessed  by  the 
tyranny  of  the  "  Grand  Tour."  We  no 
longer  absorbed,    we   submitted. 

Abroad  there  was  greater  continuity.  We 
can  account  for  the  dainty  Parisian  boudoir 
of  a  marquise  by  studying  the  painted  wood 
hunting-box  of  Henry  IV.  at  Alen9on.  We 
have    examined    this    latter   in   the   South 


LATER  RENAISSANCE  ii5 

Kensington  galleries.  We  have  only  to 
walk  a  few  paces  to  find  the  other.  This 
boudoir  has  been  transported  for  us  in  its 
entirety  from  the  rue  vieille  du  Temple, 
where  Claude  Clodion  and  Gouthiere  worked 
under  the  supervision  of  Marie  Antoinette 
to  make  a  dainty  nest  for  one  of  her 
favourites.  It  is  quite  a  tiny,  square  room, 
very  tall,  with  carved  ceiling,  and  every 
square  inch  of  it  is  gay  with  bright  colours, 
just  as  it  is  in  that  country  cottage  affair 
of  Henry  of  Navarre.  Only  here  the  design 
is  lighter,  the  execution  infinitely  more 
perfect,  and  the  materials  much  richer,  the 
cornice,  mouldings  on  panels  of  walls  and 
ceiling  gilded.  The  chimneypiece,  about 
3  ft.  6  in.  by  3  ft.,  is  placed  in  the  middle  of 
the  wall,  is  of  pure  white  marble  with 
elegantly  shaped  jambs,  lintel  and  circular 
ending  shelf,  the  sides  adorned  with  two 
Persian  termini  (veritable  Orientals  in  tur- 
bans and  flowing  robes)  in  grey  marble. 
The  scrollwork  on  bases  of  these  figures, 
on  the  lintel  and  on  the  fender  are  of  beauti- 
fully moulded  gilt  bronze  ;  the  fire-back  and 
cheeks  of  well  modelled  cast  iron.  It  is 
a  fragile  piece  of  work,  as  exquisite  in  detail 
— for  the  grey  marble  figures,  the  gilded 


ii6  CHIMNEYPIECES 

metal  scrolls,  are  perfect  in  themselves — as  it 
is   successful   as   a   whole.     But  it  is   only 
fitted,  as  a   whole,    to   that   frivolous   little 
bonbonniere.     It    is   a    sort   of  fireplace    to 
suggest    lively   chatter,    a   high   degree    of 
selfish   culture,    and   therefore    is   very   far 
away  from  the  family  hearth,  the  patriarchal 
huge   chimneypieces   of  the   common    hall. 
By  over  refining  ideals — comfort  and  pretty 
surroundings — the  marquises  had  arrived  at 
something  which  was  the  negation  of  home. 
Of  course  there  was  a  good  deal  that  lay 
between  the  two,  as  the  Louvre,  Fontaine- 
bleau,  and  Versailles  bear  witness.      At  the 
Musde  des  Arts  Decoratifs  in  Paris  there  is 
a    Louis   XIV.  carved  wood  chimneypiece 
having  pilasters  adorned  with  heavy  under- 
cut acanthus  leaves,  which  support  a  deco- 
rated frieze,  the  panels  above  being  filled 
with  foliage  and  scrollwork.     Another  of  the 
same  type  and  period  has  a  domed  curved 
breast,    with     flat    top.      Le     Pautre    has 
described  and  preserved  drawings  of  some 
of    the    wonders    in    the    old    Chateau    de 
Madrid,  which  stood  on  the  outskirts  of  the 
Bois  de  Boulogne.     On  each  floor  there  was 
a  large   hall   with  a   "  Chemin^e   Royale," 
behind  which  was  a  small  staircase  leading 


LATER  RENAISSANCE  117 

to  the  next  floor.  In  other  rooms  there 
were  two  fireplaces  reaching  to  the  ceiling, 
one  on  each  side  of  a  doorway.  Closer 
to  our  Clodion  and  Gouthiere  specimen  is 
the  1747  red  marble  chimneypiece  at 
Versailles.  It  is  elegantly  shaped,  has  scrolls 
of  gilt  bronze,  and  at  its  angles  are  a  male 
and  female  termini,  leaning  forward  smiling, 
in  no  menial  attitude,  also  in  gilt  bronze. 
In  another  room  of  that  monstrous  pile  is  a 
white  marble  chimneypiece  of  1775,  with  gilt 
bronze  ornaments,  and  also  provided  with 
termini,  in  this  case  two  chubby  nude  boys 
in  white  marble,  drawing  about  their  heads 
and  waists  grey  drapery.  Although  they 
are  in  the  position  of  supports,  under  the 
overhanging  mantelshelf,  with  heads  slightly 
bent  forward,  there  is  no  sign  of  strain  about 
their  dimpled,  smiling  little  persons.  Here, 
with  the  gilt  bronze  figures  of  Caffieri,  the 
white  marble  babes  of  an  unknown  sculptor, 
and  the  grey  marble  Persians  of  Clodion,  we 
are  face  to  face  with  works  of  art,  whose 
perfection  is  in  no  way  diminished  by  their 
subordination  to  a  purely  decorative  pur- 
pose. 

If  we  go  to  the  Rijks  Museum  at  Amster- 
dam  we   will  find   quite  as  extravagant   a 

I 


ii8  CHIMNEYPIECES 

development,  though  on  more  homely  lines. 
Thus  one  specimen  bearing  the  date  1561 
has  powerful  termini,  the  pilasters  orna- 
mented with  suns  in  splendour.  Volutes, 
springing  from  grotesque  masks,  support 
frames  with  armorial  shields.  This  is  painted 
with  tints  of  flesh-colour,  green,  red,  black, 
and  gold.  One,  dated  16 14,  has  a  carved 
white  stone  fireplace  with  horned  atlantes, 
supporting  an  overmantel  in  carved  wood. 
Another  from  Western  Flanders  and 
dated  161 7,  is  in  grey  stone,  with  cary- 
atides in  contemporary  local  costumes, 
resting  on  pedestals  adorned  with  masks. 
The  overmantel  is  treated  architecturally 
with  columns,  frieze  and  cornice.  The  oak 
panels  are  inlaid  with  ebonised  oak  and 
white  beech,  surrounded  by  bands  of 
mahogany,  pointed  with  ivory  buttons. 

Inigo  Jones,  whose  treatment  of  the 
chimneypiece  we  have  already  discussed, 
did  much  to  banish  the  Gothic  and  lead  the 
Jacobean  to  a  sober  school  of  classic  archi- 
tecture. But  he  was  succeeded  by  an  even 
more  imposing  genius  in  the  person  of 
Christopher  Wren.  With  all  his  leanings 
towards  Vitruvius  and  Palladio,  his  admir- 
ation for  the  remains  of  Greek  and  Roman 


LATER  RENAISSANCE  119 

splendour,  and  his  scientific  bent,  Wren 
loved  a  certain  amount  of  display.  The 
Renaissance  masters  appealed  to  him  for- 
cibly, and  we  find  him  decorating  his  classic 
designs  with  no  meagre  hand.  This  applies 
especially  to  interiors.  His  fireplaces,  although 
drawn  in  harmony  with  the  classic  orders  he 
affected,  were  loaded  with  ornaments,  corres- 
ponding to  the  heavy  modelled  and  moulded 
plasterwork  he  loved  to  see  on  his  ceilings, 
surrounding  his  doors  and  windows.  Jones's 
quiet  headings,  fillets,  hollows  and  rounds, 
small  masks  and  floral  garlands,  were  re- 
placed by  strongly  carved  trophies,  big 
wreaths,  swollen  bunches  of  flowers  and 
fruit  and  figures  of  children.  Grinling 
Gibbons,  that  incomparable  wood  carver, 
whose  technique  was  far  superior  to  his 
taste,  decorated  many  a  chimneypiece  whose 
pure  outline  betrays  the  master  hand. 
With  him  came  a  veritable  Renaissance  of 
English  carving,  but  like  the  worthy  Italians 
in  the  matter  of  grotesque,  though  fired  by 
the  splendid  remnants  of  a  bygone  age,  he 
preferred  to  let  his  fancy  run  riot.  At  the 
root  of  this  revival  in  wood  carving  there 
was  a  desire  to  go  back  to  Nature  as  the 
great   teacher.     Unfortunately   Nature  was 


120  CHIMNEYPIECES 

studied  more  with  the  eyes  of  mechanics 
than  those  of  artists.  Many  of  the  works  of 
Gibbons  and  his  contemporaries  are  exact 
reproductions  of  the  objects  portrayed  ;  they 
show  exquisite  single  bits,  but  the  general 
result  is  not  natural,  and  is  sometimes  so 
heavy  as  to  suggest  grossness.  We  see 
something  of  this  in  existing  chimneypieces. 
It  is  not  altogether  absent  from  the  very 
interesting  collection  of  sketches,  in  mono- 
chrome and  colour,  for  chimneypieces  and 
mural  decorations  intended  for  Hampton 
Court  Palace,  now  preserved  at  the  Soane 
Museum.  These  sketches  are  bound  up  in 
a  bulky  volume,  once  in  the  possession  of 
Dance,  and  they  are  attributed  to  the  hand 
of  Grinling  Gibbons.  It  is  possible  that  the 
architectural  features  may  be  actual  elabor- 
ations of  indications  by  Wren,  but  the  draw- 
ings for  the  decorations  betray  the  touch  of 
a  sculptor,  one  who  knew  the  nature  of 
materials  and  the  difficulties  of  technique. 
We  reproduce  three  of  these  sketches,  which 
demonstrate  both  the  strength  and  the  weak- 
ness of  the  Gibbons  school.  Take  item  by 
item  and  you  are  bound  to  admire  the 
beauty  and  truthfulness  of  the  represent- 
ation.    The  figures  of  the  children  are  de- 


LATER  RENAISSANCE  121 

lightful.  On  the  other  hand  there  is  too 
much  of  detail ;  we  are  rather  oppressed  by 
the  mass,  which  lacks  the  lightness  and 
elegance  we  desire  to  associate  with  flowers 
and  fruit.  Then  again,  the  grouping  is  not 
very  happy.  The  use  of  the  drapery  canopy 
is  rather  nonsensical  in  one  case,  and  pain- 
fully funereal  in  the  other.  We  are  left  to 
admire  details,  for  instance  the  quite  admir- 
able grouping  of  the  cupids  in  the  unfinished 
sketch,  which  breaks  the  straight  lines  of 
the  upper  portion  of  the  severely  simple 
chimneypiece,  and  humanises  it ;  and  then 
the  very  beautiful  frieze. 

William  Kent,  a  pupil  and  admirer  of 
Inigo  Jones,  and  one  who,  as  at  Holkham, 
actually  carried  out  work,  such  as  chimney- 
pieces,  designed  by  the  master,  professed  to 
be  a  true  follower  of  classical  tradition.  He 
was,  however,  a  Renaissance  man,  as  his 
rather  clumsy  outline  shows.  We  can  con- 
trast his  two  chimneypieces  given  in  this 
book  with  the  two  by  Jones.  The  coarsen- 
ing is  at  once  apparent.  As  a  rule  he  was 
good  as  a  decorator,  but  he  suffered  from 
the  same  defects  as  Gibbons,  he  massed  and 
enlarged  his  details  too  much,  and  they 
gave   the   unfortunate  impression  of  being 


122  CHIMNEYPIECES 

stuck  on.  They  did  not  combine  with  the 
design  as  did  the  quite  foreign  Tudor  scroll- 
work on  classic  backgrounds,  or  hang  natur- 
ally as  the  garlands  of  Inigo  Jones  or  the 
scrolls  of  Gouthiere. 

Kent's  work  may  be  seen  in  many  London 
and  country  houses,  among  others  at  Kensing- 
ton Palace  and  at  Houghton,  Norfolk.  His 
propensity  for  over  emphasis  and  unfortunate 
choice  of  detail  is  only  too  apparent  at  the 
latter  place.  In  the  hall  there  is  a  specimen 
well  recessed,  but  also  with  considerable 
projection.  The  jambs  have  canephori  ter- 
mini, with  derisively  small  baskets  of  flowers 
on  their  heads,  and  so  placed  as  to  appear  to 
be  actually  sustaining  the  weight.  The 
jambs  are  buttressed  by  side  consoles,  their 
thicker  voluted  ends  resting  on  square  bases, 
and  provided  with  capitals.  This  idea  of 
side  support  is  again  seen  in  the  Salon, 
where  we  have  a  black  marble  continued 
type  of  structure,  with  gilt  embellishments. 
The  base  has  two  pairs  of  classic  columns, 
one  pair  placed  in  front  as  supports  for  the 
lintel  and  architrave,  the  others  stepped  back 
to  buttress  the  sides.  Above  these  side 
columns  are  caryatides.  The  whole  is 
topped  by  a  broken  pediment  with  cartouche 


LATER  RENAISSANCE  123 

and  trailing  ivy.  The  central  panel  has  a 
carved  frame,  and  on  the  lintel  is  a  large 
Star  and  Garter.  Console  buttresses  appear 
again  in  the  drawing-room,  where  they  have 
cherubs'  heads  as  capitals,  the  frame  on  the 
overmantel  is  carved  by  Grinling  Gibbons. 
The  side  buttressing  once  more  appears 
in  the  dining-room. 

The  architectural  books  of  this  period  are 
well  worth  study  in  this  connection.  Colin 
Campbell,  in  his  "  Vitruvius  Brittanicus," 
gives  several  examples  of  his  chimneypieces, 
which  have  some  of  the  merits  and  most 
of  the  faults  of  Kent,  though  those  designed 
for  a  back  parlour  in  Brook  Street,  Gros- 
venor  Square,  and  for  Brookbank's  mansion 
at  Hackney,  are  good. 

Ware,  in  his  "  Complete  Body  of  Archi- 
tecture," has  much  that  deserves  attention. 
Among  his  suggestions  is  one  that  might 
well  be  tried  in  this  age  of  love  of  novelty 
and  outdoor  life.  He  says  that  the  blank 
space  in  the  panel  of  a  continued  chimney- 
piece  could  be  filled  with  a  wind-indicating 
dial.  He  even  gives  an  illustration  of  his 
idea.  The  dial  is  surrounded  by  scrollwork, 
and  four  cherubims  puffing  at  the  cardinal 
points.     He  fails  to  say  how  it  was  to  work, 


124  CHIMNEYPIECES 

but  presumably  this  could  be  done  by  con- 
necting the  needle  by  means  of  light  rods 
and  levers  to  an  outside  vane. 

George  Richardson,  in  his  "  New  Col- 
lection," gives  36  designs  of  chimneypieces 
in  what  he  conceives  to  be  the  Etruscan, 
Greek,  and  Roman  styles  of  architecture. 
He  affects  the  simple  type  (without  over- 
mantel) and  advocates  polychromatic  schemes 
obtained  by  the  use  of  varied  materials. 
Thus  in  one  instance  we  have  white  marble 
relieved  with  a  brownish  variety  for  details. 
In  another  he  uses  white  marble  and  green 
marble,  with  yellow  pilasters  and  reddish 
brown  medallions. 

Isaac  Ware  suggested  that  Anglesea  green 
marble,  "with  its  white  asbestos  veins," 
v/ould  make  a  fine  background  for  white 
marble  columns,  or  alternately  that  it  would 
look  well  as  columns  against  a  white  back- 
ground. Richardson's  caryatic  figures  are 
usually  good,  forming  an  integral  part  of  the 
design,  without  being  given  apparent  heavy 
work  to  do. 

Both  Chippendale  and  Lock  were  of- 
fenders in  the  matter  of  designing  chimney- 
pieces.  The  former  was  chiefly  responsible 
for  the  application  of  the  Oriental  craze  in 


LATER  RENAISSANCE  125 

this  direction.  He  designed  "  Chinese  "  and 
"Indian"  fireplace  surrounds,  generally  of 
the  continued  type.  These  were  remarkable 
for  great  breadth,  lightness  of  construction 
and  a  profusion  of  weird  scrollwork,  partly 
foliated  and  merging  into  trees,  occasionally 
into  pagodas  and  little  figures  of  Chinamen 
or  Indians.  The  scrolls  were  usually  com- 
position or  carved  wood  in  high  relief  on 
plain  painted  wood,  but  sometimes  the  flat 
surfaces  were  filled  with  mirrors.  Very 
often  these  chimneypieces  were  lopsided, 
purposely  out  of  balance,  all  the  scrollwork 
running  to  one  side,  apparently  with  the 
idea  of  showing  the  eccentricity  of  the 
Chinese  mind.  Altogether  a  very  poor 
imitation  of  their  carved  jade  and  wood- 
work. A  mild  specimen  of  the  outcome  of 
this  school,  with  marble  jambs  and  lintel, 
in  wood  and  composition,  and  a  large  central 
mirror,  is  to  be  seen  at  South  Kensington. 

Perhaps  the  worst  culprit  in  this  connec- 
tion, however,  was  Piranesi,  who  in  his 
sumptuous  tome  on  how  to  adorn  chimney- 
pieces,  deliberately  sets  out  to  compose 
monstrosities  in  the  Egyptian,  Etruscan, 
Greek,  and  Roman  styles,  with  the  funniest 
results  imaginable.    There  is  no  denying  that 


126  CHIMNEYPIECES 

Piranesi  had  a  big^  outlook  on  the  world, 
delighting  to  magnify  the  works  of  man. 
His  designs  are  all  on  a  grandiose  scale, 
overloaded  with  unnecessary  members 
smothered  under  a  mass  of  detail.  It  is  at 
least  doubtful  whether,  if  the  creators  of  the 
Sphinx,  the  builders  of  the  Pyramids  or  even 
of  Dendera  had  revisited  this  earth,  they 
would  have  constructed  fireplaces  quite  as 
our  Italian  enthusiast  designed  them.  He 
piled  pyramids  on  pillars,  used  hieroglyphics 
as  surface  decorations  with"  lotus  blossoms 
and  papyrus,  employed  colossal  Egyptians 
as  Atlantes,  or  placed  them  idly  by,  as 
quizzical  onlookers,  not  the  least  disturbed 
by  the  fact  that  they  were  often  memento 
mori,  being  equipped  in  mummified  form. 
Sometimes  these  figures  sat  on  benches, 
their  backs  buttressing  the  jambs.  In  one 
case  he  actually  has  two  pairs  of  almost  nude 
Egyptians  placed  upside  down,  supporting 
themselves  on  their  hands,  back  to  back, 
their  heads  reversed,  so  that  they  almost 
rub  noses,  while  on  the  side  of  these 
are  two  colossi,  rigid,  with  the  far  away 
look  of  the  impassive  deified.  His  treat- 
ment of  the  Etruscan  and  classic  is  just 
as     extravagant.       We    have     reason     to 


LATER  RENAISSANCE  127 

thank  our  stars  that  much  of  this  remained 
on  paper. 

But  we  must  hark  back  to  some  typical 
examples  of  this  period  as  actually  existing 
in  situ  or  in  collections. 

Bolsover  Castle,  Derbyshire,  presented 
many  interesting  examples.  It  was  rebuilt 
by  Huntingdon  Smithson  for  Sir  Charles 
Cavendish  early  in  the  17th  century.  The 
idea  seems  to  have  been  to  preserve,  as  far 
as  compatible  with  the  then  prevailing  ideas 
of  comfort,  the  baronial  castle  style.  The 
chimneypieces  consequently  were  large,  with 
strong  members,  built-up  pyramidal  hoods, 
but  fairly  simple  as  to  details.  Many  of 
these  are  placed  in  the  angles  of  rooms,  and 
have  semi-circular  projecting  outline.  A 
curious  feature  is  that  these  fireplaces  are 
usually  surrounded  by  a  wall  of  plain  large 
stone  masonry,  with  outer  moulding,  against 
which  the  wood  panelling  is  brought.  It  is 
a  somewhat  affected,  but  not  ineffective, 
imitation  of  the  precautions  taken  when 
wood  panelling  was  first  introduced  into 
castles,  or  when  wood  entered  largely  into 
construction.  This  type  of  angle  chimney- 
piece  we  find  reproduced  at  Hampton  Court 
with  happy  results.    We  see  one  with  a  wide 


128  CHIMNEYPIECES 

opening,  a  decorated  iron  fire-plate  cutting 
off  the  back  triangle,  a  semi-circular  upright 
breast  with  fine  mouldings,  surmounted  by  a 
shelf,  and  a  small  receding  pyramidal  hood, 
with  flat  top,  and  fine  carved  bunches  of 
flowers  and  fruit,  apparently  by  Gibbons, 
pendant  from  the  top. 

At  Charlton  House  we  find  a  handsome 
combination  in  the  Saloon  of  white  alabaster 
and  black  marble,  with  fine  figures  of  Vulcan 
and  Venus,  the  decoration  being  of  Greek 
line  and  scrollwork.  One  of  marble  in  the 
drawing-room,  with  good  plain  spaces,  was 
so  highly  polished  that  Dr.  Plott  tells  us 
"  the  Lord  of  Downe  did  see  in  it  a  robbery 
committed  on  Shooter's  Hill,"  that  is,  he 
saw  a  reflection  of  what  was  occurring  a  mile 
or  more  away,  "whereupon,  sending  out  his 
servants,  the  thieves  were  taken."  Cer- 
tainly a  novel  use  for  such  a  feature  of 
architecture. 

Rowland  Buckett  provided  a  finely  de- 
signed, lavishly  decorated  chimneypiece  for 
the  old  Governor's  Room  at  the  Charter- 
house, City,  for  which  he  received  ;^5o 
from  the  then  Governor  (temp.  Charles  I.). 
The  lower  part  has  panels  of  white  marble, 
with    arched    mouldings,    enclosing    figure 


o 


Q. 

£ 

as 
X 


o 


LATER  RENAISSANCE  129 

medallions,  with  foliated  scrolls.  These 
are  placed  between  pairs  of  black  marble 
columns  with  gilt  bases  and  capitals,  the 
whole  resting  on  blood-red  pedestals  deco- 
rated with  fancy  mouldings.  The  lintel  is 
of  red  marble  framed  in  white,  and  having 
three  long  black  panels  adorned  with  figure 
groups  in  gold  outline.  Above  this  is  a 
black  and  gold  frieze,  then  a  projecting  shelf 
with  mouldings,  supporting  the  overmantel, 
which  is  a  mass  of  fine  arabesques.  In  the 
centre  are  the  arms  of  Charles  I.,  with  sup- 
porters and  lambrequin,  neatly  framed  in  an 
oval.  The  corner  spaces  of  this  panel  are 
filled  with  four  circular  medallions,  with  the 
Evangelists  done  in  gold  outline  on  a  black 
background.  The  four  ornamental  columns 
have  the  heads  of  the  twelve  Apostles 
placed  in  small  circles  amidst  floral  ara- 
besques. These  columns,  and  two  narrow 
panels,  rest  on  decorated  pedestals,  having 
ovals  containing  delicate  pictures  in  gold  of 
the  Salutation  and  the  Last  Supper.  Between 
these,  on  a  narrow  panel,  are  the  arms  of 
Thomas  Sutton,  founder  of  the  Hospital, 
supported  by  two  angels,  and  the  initials 
"T.  S.,"  the  whole  surrounded  by  arabes- 
ques.   Our  plate,  although  lacking  the  charm 


130  CHIMNEYPIECES 

associated  with  glow  of  colour,  gives  a  fair 
idea  of  the  delicacy  and  beauty  of  this  ex- 
ceptional piece,  which  has  all  the  love  of 
display,  the  fancy,  and  the  patience  in 
crowding  in  detail  of  the  later  Renaissance, 
without  any  suggestion  of  its  tawdriness 
and  vulgarity.  Here  again  the  introduction 
and  blending  of  the  heraldic  motifs  is  well 
done. 

An  equally  commendable  example  of  late 
Renaissance,  1686,  is  now  preserved  at 
South  Kensington.  It  is  the  oak  and  cedar 
panelling,  ceiling,  and  other  fittings,  from  a 
room  in  Clifford's  Inn.  The  chimney  sur- 
round is  of  black  marble  with  white  vcining, 
daintily  shaped,  and  with  sober  carving. 
The  outer  casing  is  of  carved  oak,  rich  in 
floral  scrollwork.  There  is  a  projecting 
shelf,  and  above  this  a  panel  with  a  hand- 
some beaded  frame,  surrounded  by  flowers 
and  foliage  carved  in  high  relief  in  the 
Grinling  Gibbons  style.  Above  this,  scroll- 
work supports  a  quartered  shield,  in  heraldic 
colours.  This  lawyer's  sober,  refined  den 
should  be  compared  with  the  two  French 
rooms  in  the  same  gallery,  already  referred 
to  in  these  pages. 

Several  less  imposing  but  instructive  ex- 


LATER  RENAISSANCE  131 

amples  of  English  work  are  to  be  seen  in  this 
Museum.  The  preference  for  termini  over 
full  figures  is  noticeable,  and  also  the  sadly 
disproportionate  effect  of  small  baskets  crown- 
ing canephori.  The  broken  pediment  is  a 
favourite  device.  Mostly  these  have  stone 
or  marble  linings  with  wood  surroundings. 
In  some  of  these  we  see  a  tendency  to  return 
for  decorative  details  direct  to  the  ancients. 
While  the  outlines  are  somewhat  incongru- 
ous, still  being  reminiscent  of  the  Jacobean 
period,  the  ornaments  of  the  wave,  Greek 
key,  and  similar  patterns,  are  frequently 
adopted.  One  specimen  has  a  broad  frieze 
with  a  very  characteristic  type  of  decoration 
— delicately  carved  sprays  of  flowers  and 
leaves,  with  flowing  ribbons,  quite  small, 
and  of  medium  relief,  and  stuck  on  to  the 
panelling.  This  was  carried  out  either  in 
wood  or  composition.  The  naturalistic  feel- 
ing, but  based  on  sound  principles  of  design, 
takes  us  away  from  the  Renaissance  and 
Grlnling  Gibbons  schools  back  to  Gothic 
carvers  of  the  13th,  14th,  and  15th  centuries. 
For  the  decoration  of  upper  panels  this 
method  possessed  considerable  merits.  It 
is  purely  surface  decoration. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

NEO-CLASSIC. 

All  Renaissance  work,  no  doubt,  was 
ostensibly  based  on  a  study  of  the  an- 
tique; but,  so  far  as  decoration  is  con- 
cerned, attention  was  chiefly  directed  to 
an  adaptation  and  development  of  the 
grotesques,  or  "arabesques,"  of  the  de- 
cadent period  of  classic  art,  with  the 
introduction  of  extraordinary  figures  and 
a  few  other  motifs.  When  this  degener- 
ated into  licence,  there  were  men  who 
wished  to  return  direct  to  the  antique, 
guided  by  Vitruvius  and  Palladio,  for 
decoration  as  well  as  general  design. 
Among  these  were  Inigo  Jones  and,  to 
a  lesser  extent,  Christopher  Wren,  William 
Kent,  Isaac  Ware.  As  we  have  seen, 
with  the  exception  of  the  first-named, 
their  intentions  were  better  than  their 
132 


NEO-CLASSIC  133 

performance    in    the    matter  of  simplifica- 
tion. 

In  Robert  Dance  we  have,  if  a  rather 
uninspired,  yet  a  sincere  student  of  the 
classic.  We  may  be  more  appalled  than 
impressed  by  the  exterior  of  the  official  res- 
idence of  the  Lord  Mayor  of  London, 
but  the  interior  treatment  is  not  lacking 
in  dignity,  well  becoming  a  building  of 
this  class.  In  the  designing  of  chimney- 
pieces  he  showed  a  restraint  that  was 
often  pleasing.  He  was  strong  enough 
to  take  some  liberties  as  regards  hard 
and  fast  lines  of  proportion.  He  gave 
greater  breadth  than  either  Jones  or  Kent, 
which  was  an  improvement,  especially  as 
applied  to  the  "continued  type."  There 
was,  however,  a  frequent  absence  of  con- 
tinuity in  design.  His  entablatures  too 
often  have  the  appearance  of  reduced 
scale  models  placed  on  a  substantial  base, 
as  we  see  in  his  Mansion  House  work. 
This  was  not  always  an  improvement  on 
the  top-heavy  designs  of  certain  of  the 
earlier  architects.  With  him  the  broken 
pediment  also  proved  a  pitfall.  He  was 
fond,  in  his  monumental  structures,  of 
cutting   through   the  ceiling    cornice    with 

K 


134  CHIMNEYPIECES 

his  pediments,  which  was  well  enough 
if  he  kept  them  closed,  but  when  broken, 
the  unity  of  the  whole  design  was  des- 
troyed. 

With  Sir  William  Chambers  the  classic 
influence  was  predominant.  He  laid  down 
that  the  opening  of  a  fireplace  of  mo- 
derate size  should  be  near  the  square,  in 
small  ones  a  trifle  higher,  and  in  large 
ones  lower.  Happily  he  inclined  to  the 
"moderate"  and  "large,"  with  pleasing 
effect,  as  will  be  gathered  from  our  two 
examples  taken  from  original  sketches  at 
the  Soane  Museum.  These  also  show  the 
charm  of  his  restrained  decoration.  In 
theory  and  practice  he  admitted  the  use 
of  architraves,  friezes,  cornices,  columns,  pil- 
asters, termini,  caryatides,  consoles  and  all 
kinds  of  ornament,  though  he  kept  these 
within  bounds. 

In  connection  with  Chambers's  theory 
of  proportions,  it  may  be  pointed  out  that 
the  usual  rule  banishing  horizontal  lines 
from  a  low  room  to  prevent  its  being 
further  dwarfed  as  the  result  of  optical 
illusion,  can  often  be  abandoned  with  advan- 
tage in  designing  chimneypieces.  A  broad, 
low   fireplace   in  a  long,   low   room,  gives 


NEO-CLASSIC  135 

it  a  comfortable  appearance  that  more 
than  counterbalances  any  advantage  to 
be  attained  by  employing  a  narrow  "con- 
tinued" chimneypiece  in  order  to  increase 
apparent  height.  This  certainly  holds  good 
as  regards  country  cottages,  and  middle 
class  houses,  though  it  may  not  apply  so 
forcibly  in  more  pretentious  dwellings, 
where  richer  and  statelier  decorations 
prevail. 

After  Chambers  came  Robert  Adam, 
who  professed  himself  dissatisfied  with  the 
heaviness  of  the  Kent  school,  and  the 
mechanical  process  in  decoration  introduced 
by  Wren  and  many  of  Gibbon's  followers. 
For  decoration  Adams  went  back  direct  to 
the  ancients,  and  from  them  he  adopted 
the  sound  doctrine  that  every  part  should 
be  consistent  with  the  whole.  Consequently 
his  chimneypieces,  although  built  up  of 
classic  members  and  ornamented  with  classic 
designs,  always  fit  in  with  his  rooms  and 
harmonise  with  all  else  there.  He  was 
rather  apt  to  subordinate  this  feature,  for 
his  doorways  and  window  openings  often 
seem  of  greater  importance  than  the  chim- 
neypieces. As  a  rule  they  were  of  mod- 
erate size,    of  the    "simple"  class  (without 


136  CHIMNEYPIECES 

overmantel),  of  slight  projection,  and  there 
was,  as  a  rule,  very  little  carving  other 
than  purely  surface  ornamentation.  It  must 
be  remembered  to  his  credit  that  he  suc- 
cessfully overcame  the  difficult  task  of 
designing  really  good  fire-grates,  thoroughly 
in  keeping  with  the  rest  of  the  composition, 
a  problem  that  did  not  obtrude  itself  on 
most  of  the  Renaissance  men,  who  were 
building  for  wood,  and  not  a  coal-burning 
generation.  Certain  faults  were  inherent 
in  Adam's  ideals.  If  he  did  not  oppress 
with  the  robustiousness  of  contour  and 
colour  of  Kent,  his  designing  on  a  smaller 
scale  in  low  relief  did  not  always  save 
him  from  overcrowding,  and  his  subdued 
tints  are  sometimes  depressing,  whilst  alas, 
his  methods  of  production  became  quite 
as  mechanical  as  anything  Wren  ever 
attempted.  The  elegant  little  wreaths,  stiff 
palmated  fans,  and  repeated  looped  gar- 
lands degenerated  into  lifeless  mannerisms. 
There  is  an  absence  of  breadth  of  treatment 
in  his  fireplaces  which  places  them  lower 
in  the  scale  of  beauty  than  those  of 
Chambers  and  even  of  Dance.  Plenty  of 
opportunities  exist  for  studying  his  chimney- 
pieces  amidst  their  proper  surroundings  in 


Design  by  Robert  Adam. 


Design  by  Robert  Adam. 


NEO-CLASSIC  137 

town  houses,  chiefly  in  London  and  Edin- 
burgh, and  in  country  mansions,  such  as 
Kedleston  and  Shelbourne  Houses.  The 
examples  chosen  for  illustration  show 
Adam's  work  at  its  best,  characteristic  in 
outline,  with  simplified  decoration,  and,  on 
the  whole,  carefully  balanced. 

Removed  from  Adam  by  about  half  a 
century.  Sir  John  Soane  carried  simplicity 
even  further  than  Dance  or  Chambers. 
He  preferred  white  marble,  which  he  used 
in  narrow  slabs  for  jambs  and  lintel  and 
very  narrow  shelf.  The  mouldings  were 
plain  and  sunk,  the  fluting  rounded,  as 
were  all  edges,  including  the  ends  of  the 
chimney  shelf,  while  the  projection  was  re- 
duced to  a  minimum.  The  effect  is  un- 
doubtedly very  chaste,  and  certainly  this 
treatment  in  no  way  hampers  the  book 
and  picture  collector.  But  it  means  the 
attenuation  of  the  chimneypiece  to  its 
more  elementary  form.  In  outline  and 
principle,  Soane's  chimneypieces  remind  us 
of  the  simple  kind  that  came  in  with  the 
elaborate  Tudor  panelling,  and  were  spec- 
ially affected  by  the  tapestry  and  picture 
loving  Henry  VHI.  For  picture  and 
sculpture    galleries    and    working   libraries, 


I5S  CHIMNEYPIECES 

the  flat  Tudor,  the  unobtrusive  Soane 
types  are  perfection,  but  they  are  deficient 
in  any  suggestion  of  homely  sociability. 
There  are  three  or  four  variations  of  this 
type  at  No.  13,  Lincoln's  Inn  Fields,  which 
may  be  commended  to  judicious  study,  as 
the  nearest  approach  to  the  Greek  spirit 
in  architecture,  as  applied  to  a  modern 
development. 


CHAPTER  X. 

THE   NINETEENTH    CENTURY. 

If  we  take  a  general  survey  of  the  work 
done  during  the  first  three  quarters  of  the 
century,  or  even  up  to  within  its  last  decade, 
the  result  is  eminently  unsatisfactory.  Archi- 
tects had  lost  interest  in  the  design  of  fire- 
places, and  these  rapidly  became  purely  a 
matter  of  mechanical  reproduction  on  "a 
commercial  scale."  Birmingham  and  Shef- 
field turned  out  iron  and  steel  grates,  and 
entire  fireplaces,  by  the  gross,  and  even 
if,  as  occasionally  happened,  they  worked 
from  good  designs,  the  products  were  mostly 
of  a  hard,  lifeless  description.  On  the  other 
hand  marble,  once  expensive  and  somewhat 
scarce,  became  cheap  and  plentiful,  the 
mason  turned  out  marble  chimneypieces  by 
the  score,  or,  what  was  worse,  manufactured 
the  separate  members  wholesale,  to  be  fitted 
139 


/ 

140  CHIMNEYPIECES 

and  adopted  by  builders  as  their  sense  of 
taste  or  regard  to  economy  dictated.  For 
the  majority  it  was  a  case  of  submitting  to 
the  tyranny  of  the  grate  manufacturers  and 
the  marble  merchants.  This  is  true  even  as 
regards  quite  expensively  built  houses,  where 
the  boxed  marble  chimneypiece  became  de 
rigueur,  to  use  a  mid-Victorian  phrase. 

That  some  architects  were  not  content 
with  this  state  of  affairs  and  rendered  willing 
help  to  manufacturers  anxious  to  improve 
their  products,  many  existing  specimens  de- 
monstrate. At  the  International  Exhibition 
of  1862  several  artists  and  manufacturers 
joined  forces.  For  instance,  Maws  of  Bir- 
mingham showed  an  improved  fireplace  de- 
signed by  Digby  Wyatt.  It  was  at  a  time 
when  the  marvels  of  the  Spanish  Mauresque 
style  had  caught  popular  fancy  and  was  in- 
ducing a  call  for  beauty  of  outline  and 
colour.  Wyatt's  chimneypiece  was  designed 
in  "the  Alhambra  style."  The  framework 
was  of  Masefield  stone,  was  rectangular,  the 
mantelshelf,  plinth  and  bands  serving  as  a 
setting  to  richly  coloured  enamelled  tiles, 
which  filled  most  of  the  space.  These  tiles 
were  made  in  imitation  of  the  Spanish 
Mauresque  azuleijos.     They  were   of  blue 


THE  NINETEENTH  CENTURY      141 

with  designs  on  them  in  brown,  red,  orange 
yellow  and  white,  with  small  spots  of  green. 
The  large  panel  tiles  forming  a  surround  for 
the  fire-grate,  which  was  recessed  between 
the  jambs  under  the  lintel,  had  orange  back- 
grounds with  blue  cable  circles  with  yellow 
rosette  centres  and  conventional  foliage  in 
green.  A  few  had  a  touch  of  violet  intro- 
duced. Apart  from  the  stress  and  scolloped 
edge  brackets  supporting  the  shelf  and  the 
moulded  cornice  running  round  the  fireplace 
opening,  the  design  was  flat.  Both  in  this 
and  the  rectangular  shape  Wyatt  departed 
from  the  methods  adopted  by  the  builders  of 
the  Alhambra,as  well  as  by  Turkish  designers 
of  fireplaces.  A  thoroughly  typical  example 
of  Turkish  glazed  tile  work  is  now  at  South 
Kensington,  having  been  brought  to  the 
Museum  from  Fujad  Pasha's  Palace  at  Con- 
stantinople. It  is  dated  173 1,  stands  about 
1 2  feet  high,  and  is  about  4  feet  wide.  The 
hearth  is  of  stone,  carved  with  lotus  flowers, 
the  lining  and  slightly  oval  back  of  burnt 
clay  or  hardened  plaster.  The  surround 
and  the  tall  pointed  hood  with  characteristic 
opening  are  lined  with  glazed  tiles  about 
six  inches  square,  having  conventionalised 
floral  designs  in  blue,  green  and  red  carried 


142  CHIMNEYPIECES 

out  on  a  greeny-white  background.  There 
is  no  involved  tracery,  and  only  one  band  of 
script  round  the  arch.  Thus  there  is  a 
narrow  funnel  from  hearth  to  chimney  throat. 
In  Turkey  and  many  other  countries  where 
small  wood  is  burnt,  as  indeed  was  the  case 
with  us  in  old  days,  the  fire  was  built  up  in 
pyramidal  form,  as  this  induced  quick 
lighting.  For  this  reason,  and  the  harmony 
of  the  outline  with  Mauresque  architecture, 
it  is  probable  that  the  form  here  seen  is  of 
native  origin,  and  not  a  mere  copy  of  the 
Gothic  hood.  Pierre  Chabat,  in  his  diction- 
ary of  architectural  terms,  gives  a  picture  of 
a  very  similar  chimneypiece  belonging  to 
the  17th  century  in  the  Palace  of  the  Gover- 
nor of  Keresoun  on  the  Black  Sea,  only  in 
that  instance  the  materials  used  were  carved 
stone  and  a  hood  screen  of  moulded  plaster. 
The  term  "Alhambra  style"  as  applied  to 
Wyatt's  design  is  characteristic  of  the  names 
given  to  fireplaces  generally.  The  geo- 
graphical and  even  the  chronological  names 
refer  only  to  the  surface  ornamentation,  and 
not  always  to  that.  This  was  unfortunate 
for  it  led  to  the  perpetration  and  multipli- 
cation of  anomalous  monstrosities  by  manu- 
facturers. 


THE  NINETEENTH  CENTURY      143 

Reverting  to  the  1862  Exhibition,  we  find 
that  John  Thomas,  who  had  a  considerable 
reputation  in  his  day  as  a  sculptor  and  de- 
corator, sent  a  carved  marble  fireplace.  It 
was  flat,  with  carved  pillar  and  bases,  bearing 
busts  of  children,  had  no  shelf,  but  a  heavy 
cornice  swelling  into  a  semi-circular  form  in 
the  centre,  two  low  relief  female  figures  with 
butterfly  wings  and  two  cupids  hovering 
above  the  gorgeous  colour-enamelled  semi- 
circular steel  grate,  to  which  the  marble 
work  was  a  mere  frame.  Neither  design  nor 
colour  scheme  was  worth  the  trouble.  The 
curved  breast  screen  was  decorated  with 
black  enamelled  radiating  lines,  while  the 
arch,  springing  from  two  short  pedestals, 
had  gold  bands  enclosing  a  series  of  blue 
circles  with  gold  star  centres  and  red 
borders. 

As  we  have  said,  it  was  the  age  of  the 
grate  maker  and  of  the  boxed  marble 
mantelpiece.  It  would  be  erroneous,  how- 
ever, to  give  the  impression  that  the  grate 
manufacturer's  work  was  altogether  futile. 
As  we  shall  endeavour  to  shew  in  a  subse- 
quent chapter,  the  practically  universal  sub- 
stitution of  coal  for  wood  as  fuel  made  his 
intervention  necessary,  but  for  the  time  it 


144  CHIMNEYPIECES 

appeared  to  almost  paralyse  all  initiative  on 
the  architect's  part  when  the  everyday  order 
of  work  had  to  be  undertaken.  Pugin's 
work  in  the  reintroduction  of  the  Gothic  had 
some  temporary  influence,  but  only  for  a 
brief  period  so  far  as  interior  domestic  de- 
coration was  concerned.  Though  even  in 
this  instance  the  gratemakers  and  even  the 
stonemasons  seized  hold  of  the  idea,  and 
reduced  it  to  the  mechanical  level  that 
Pugin  specially  abhorred,  though  he  could 
not  himself  escape  the  tendency  of  the  age. 

On  the  Continent  the  boxed  marble 
chimneypiece  never  reached  the  same  strong 
position  as  it  did  with  us,  and  the  grate 
trouble  was  unknown.  On  the  other  hand, 
towards  the  middle  of  the  century  the 
enamelled  metal  or  stoneware  stove  had  an 
enormous  vogue.  But,  on  the  whole,  the 
sculptor  succeeded  in  maintaining  his  own, 
while  even  the  use  of  ormoulu  was  not  dis- 
carded. 

Some  of  the  Continental  sculptors  came 
over  to  our  shores  and  did  much  work. 
One  of  these,  belonging  largely  to  the 
previous  century,  but  whose  later  influence 
was  considerable,  and  so  should  be  mentioned, 
here,  was  Canova.     He  was  an  industrious 


Chimneypiece  and  Crate,  by  Robert  Adam. 


Design  by  Sir  William  Chambers 


THE  NINETEENTH  CENTURY      145 

sculptor  of  unquestionable  merit,  though  too 
much  of  his  work  was  of  the  "pot-boiler" 
order.  He,  however,  did  useful  service  in 
familiarising  us  with  the  idea  that  sculpture 
need  not  be  divorced  from  everyday  matters. 
For  instance,  he  carved  chimneypieces,  two 
of  these  being  at  Ickworth,  Bury  St 
Edmunds.  Both  are  classic  in  style.  One 
is  an  imposing  affair  with  Ionic  fluted 
columns,  groups  of  statuary,  and  a  very 
beautiful  frieze  with  sculptured  figures.  In 
the  other  case  the  white  marble  is  orna- 
mented with  a  beautiful  inlay  of  coloured 
stones,  the  designs  including  Vitruvian 
scrolls,  open  floral  scrolls,  and  medallions 
with  a  duck,  a  hare,  and  a  hound. 

This  inlay  of  fine  coloured  designs  on 
chimneypieces  was  an  Italian  notion,  sug- 
gested by  mosaic  work.  Horace  Walpole 
had  a  handsome  example  in  the  circular 
boudoir  at  Strawberry  Hill.  It  is  of  white 
marble,  with  alabaster  panels  decorated  with 
floral  and  conventional  patterns  in  coloured 
mosaics.  The  columns  are  spirally  grooved, 
the  depressions  having  a  dainty  pattern  of 
myrtle  leaves  carried  out  in  mosaics,  which 
puts  us  in  mind  of  the  beautiful  spiral 
mosaic    decorated    columns    at    St.     John 


146  CHIMNEYPIECES 

Lateran  at  Rome.  These  have,  indeed,  been 
copied,  and  are  to  be  found  forming  part  of 
the  magnificent  chimneypiece  at  Eaton  Hall, 
Cheshire.  This  is  of  Carrara  marble,  and 
was  made  at  Rome.  It  has  coupled  columns 
on  both  lower  and  upper  part,  these  being 
dwarf  copies  from  St.  John,  and,  like  them, 
are  grooved,  some  spirally,  and  decorated 
with  glass  mosaic  and  agates.  A  charming 
effect  is  achieved  by  the  treatment  of  the 
frieze  or  lintel.  It  has  a  wavy  line,  the 
lower  part  being  cut  away.  In  the  depres- 
sion of  the  wave  forms  are  circular  plaques 
filled  with  rich  mosaics.  This  was  put  up 
in  1869. 

In  Italy,  as  we  have  said,  this  form  of 
decoration,  though  costly,  was  a  recognised 
method  of  embellishing  fireplaces.  It  is 
curious  that  when  in  1803  the  Pope  wished 
to  make  friends  with  Napoleon,  he  sent  to 
him  at  Paris  a  huge  white  marble  chimney- 
piece.  It  incorporated  antique  Roman 
sculptures,  and  was  encrusted  with  mosaics, 
carried  out  by  Raffaelli,  one  of  the  most 
celebrated  workers  in  this  kind  of  that 
period.  This  costly  and  unique  gift  arrived 
safely  in  Paris,  together  with  a  clock 
designed  in  the  same  style.     There  it  seems 


THE  NINETEENTH  CENTURY      147 

to  have  disappeared,  for  though  the  clock 
is  to  be  seen  at  Fontainebleau,  no  trace  of  the 
chimneypiece  has  been  found.  Yet  it  is 
hardly  possible  for  so  bulky  a  thing  to  be 
mislaid,  even  in  a  National  Garde  Meuble, 
and  it  must  have  been  too  remarkable  to 
have  been  broken  up.  Is  it  possible  that 
owing  to  its  beauty  and  derivation  it  has 
been  transformed  into  some  ecclesiastical 
monument  ?  The  theory  is  not  so  far  fetched 
as  many  may  suppose.  When  Richard 
Cosway  took  up  his  residence  at  No.  20 
Stratford  Place,  he  had  the  house  lavishly 
furnished  and  decorated.  Among  his  most 
treasured  possessions  were  certain  fine 
chimneypieces  designed  by  his  friend, 
Thomas  Banks,  R.A.,  the  architect.  Cos- 
way  had  to  leave  these  behind  when  a 
lampoon  drove  him  away  from  his  home,  and 
there  they  remained  until  one  day,  early  in  this 
century,  although  the  lease  of  the  premises 
had  passed  into  other  hands,  the  ground 
landlord,  without  asking  permission,  had  one 
of  the  finest  specimens  removed,  and,  after 
slight  alterations,  set  it  up  in  a  church  as  a 
monument,  clearly  evidencing  a  strange  lack 
of  imagination  and  sense  of  humour,  which 
was  further  shown  by  the  fact  that  a  lawsuit 


148  CHIMNEYPIECES 

was  necessary  to  secure  the  restoration  of 
that  fireplace  to  its  original  position. 

We  may  be  pardoned  if  we  now  pass  on 
to  a  consideration  of  Alfred  Stevens'  fire- 
place in  the  Saloon  at  Dorchester  House. 
Fine  as  this  undoubtedly  is  both  in  general 
design  and  in  finish  of  detail,  it  would,  with 
but  slight  alteration,  be  quite  suitable  for 
some  Campo  Santo.  As  our  illustration  of 
Stevens'  original  model,  now  at  South 
Kensington,  shows,  it  is  a  monumental 
structure,  admirably  proportioned  for  a  large 
hall,  as  beautiful  in  its  purely  architectural 
features  as  it  is  in  regard  to  its  figure 
sculptures.  The  two  caryatic  figures  are  in 
very  unusual  attitudes.  They  are  nude,  but 
without  offence  even  in  such  a  position,  full 
of  strength,  yet  suggesting  no  strain,  as  the 
weight  is  on  the  shoulders  and  hands,  not 
on  the  head.  The  carved  frieze  is  also  very 
fine  work.  Perhaps  the  weak  spot  is  the 
armorial  shield  and  its  supporter.  Both 
appear  to  be  out  of  place,  and  scarcely  add 
to  the  dignity  of  the  composition.  It  would 
have  been  better  to  have  left  out  the 
armorial  bearings  altogether,  rather  than  to 
resort  to  an  obvious  makeshift  of  this  kind. 

In  the  main  the  work  of  the  19th  century 


THE  NINETEENTH  CENTURY      i49 

was  poor,  and  such  exceptional  examples  of 
chimneypieces  as  we  do  possess  in  England 
were,  until  the  last  few  decades,  really 
imitative. 

From  1880  to  1900  may  be  termed  a 
period  of  revivals.  Chimneypieces  in  the 
Renaissance,  the  Louis  Quatorze,  Quinze 
and  Seize,  the  Jacobean,  Georgian  and 
Adam  styles  were  designed  for  public,  semi- 
public,  and  private  buildings.  This  showed 
a  stirring  which  was  to  bring  change,  and 
change  could  only  be  for  the  better. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

CURRENT     PRACTICE. 

Fireplaces,  as  a  result  of  that  unrest  be- 
gotten in  recent  years  by  the  endeavour  to 
find  new  expressions  for  the  artistic  ideals 
in  architecture,  have  come  by  their  own 
again.  For  it  has  been  recognised  that  they 
possess  immense  possibilities  whereby  the 
keynote  to  the  expression  aimed  at  may  be 
given.  This,  of  course,  entails  the  accept- 
ance of  that  other  important  fact — the  chim- 
neypiece  must  truly  form  part  of  the  picture 
regarded  as  a  deliberate  and  vital  composition. 
Rebels  there  have  been,  however,  who  have 
asserted,  and  made  good  their  assertion,  that 
this  does  not  compel  to  a  dead  level  of  uni- 
formity in  the  design  of  prominent  decorative 
features  or  in  detail.  They  insist  that  har- 
mony may  be  reached  by  daring  to  be 
original,  and  they  regard  the  fireplace  as 
ISO 


CURRENT  PRACTICE  151 

a  fitting  opportunity  for  the  display  of  in- 
dividuality. Certainly  some  of  the  current 
doings  in  this  direction  are  calculated  to 
horrify  the  methodist,  be  he  a  lover  of  the 
past  or  one  athirst  for  some  satisfying 
novelty.  So  much  the  worse  for  the  man 
of  hard  and  fast  rules,  say  the  successful  in- 
novators. And,  looking  at  work  achieved, 
we  can  but  admit  the  justice  of  the  retort. 

There  has,  of  course,  been  no  complete 
breaking  away  from  the  past,  unless  it  be 
from  the  tyranny  of  the  Victorian  heavy 
boxed  marble  surrounds,  with  their  ugly 
stereotyped  iron  grates,  and  the  richness  of 
decoration  associated  with  both  the  Gothic 
and  Renaissance  styles.  Indeed,  the  influ- 
ence of  pre-Victorian  work  has  been  suc- 
cessfully brought  to  bear  on  present  day 
needs. 

At  Balcombe  Place,  Sussex,  Mr  Gerald 
C.  Horsley  has  produced  two  monumental 
chimneypieces  quite  original  in  conception, 
yet  modelled  on  Tudor  lines.  In  the  Hall 
it  is  a  white  stone  construction,  with  raised 
hearth  advancing  well  into  the  room.  The 
jambs  are  boldly  formed  plain  columns. 
Above  this  is  a  projecting  frieze,  supporting 
a  square  chimney  breast,  provided  in  front 


152  CHIMNEYPIECES 

with  three  arched  recesses,  containing  sculp- 
tured figures,  with  richly  carved  frieze  slant- 
ing outwards.  This  harmonises  well  with 
the  panelled  walls,  deep  painted  frieze  and 
enriched  plaster  ceiling,  with  its  great  crossing 
beams,  also  decorated  on  their  side  soffits. 
In  the  Music  Room  there  is  a  small 
recessed  fireplace  with  red  brick  back,  and 
wings  placed  at  a  slant.  Above  this  is 
a  carved  wood  shelf.  Some  two  feet  over 
this  is  a  projecting  mock  chimney  breast 
in  wood,  rising  square  to  the  ceiling.  It  is 
divided  into  panels,  and  richly  carved  with 
conventional  scrolled  foliage.  Against  the 
wall  are  two  slender  square  pillars,  with 
carved  brackets,  to  the  eye  apparently  sup- 
porting the  heavy  superstructure.  In  this 
room  there  are  a  large  organ  and  a  music 
gallery,  with  arched  screen,  the  pendentives 
filled  with  pierced  carving.  Something  of 
the  same  spirit  is  to  be  seen  in  Mr  W.  A.  S. 
Benson's  chimneypiece  in  a  London  block  of 
high  rented  flats.  Economy  of  space  being 
a  consideration,  this  example  is  given  onl'  a 
slight  projection,  but  in  breadth  it  occunies 
about  a  third  of  one  side  of  the  room,  a*"^  is 
carried  nearly  to  the  ceiling  cornice.  :  he 
fire  opening  is  tall.     The  side  pilasters  have 


Design  by  Sir  William  Chambers, 


«t«WJWW<wn»rTWiTTini>nMiaMaw«g«-mi»n«  u  i  riiffiiimn»a«» 


piHmiiMnii^i 


Design  by  Robert  Adam, 


CURRENT  PRACTICE  153 

deep  panels,  with  a  conventionalised  tree 
inlay.  Above  the  shelf  is  a  semi-circular 
alcove,  with  dentated  arch,  and  a  recessed 
panel  on  each  side.  Above  this  are  two  tall 
alcoves  with  dentated  arches,  and  three 
shallow  niches  with  sculptured  figures  about 
18  inches  high.  A  slightly  projecting  carved 
cornice  provides  a  shelf  for  the  display  of 
plaques. 

In  a  sketch  for  a  large  hall,  exhibited  at 
the  Royal  Academy  in  19 10  by  Mr  J.  A. 
Jones,  the  monumental  fireplace  is  placed 
next  to  the  grand  staircase,  the  upper  part 
being  between  the  depressed  arch  opening 
to  the  landing  and  a  similar  opening  on  the 
passage  gallery,  the  balustrade  being  replaced 
by  carved  pierced  panels.  The  fire  opening 
is  broad  but  low,  on  a  slightly  raised  hearth, 
and  is  surmounted  by  a  straight  hood  in 
three  panels,  the  side  ones  slanting  back  at 
an  angle.  This  is  enclosed  by  two  tall, 
slender  columns  with  capitals,  supporting 
a  projecting  carved  frieze  with  an  armorial 
shield  in  the  centre.  Above  this  the  plain 
square  hood,  with  pointed  panels,  is  carried 
up  to  the  beamed  ceiling.  This  is  almost 
mediaeval  in  feeling. 

Somewhat  more  companionable  is  Mr  Louis 


154  CHIMNEYPIECES 

Ambler's  short  hooded  fireplace  in  the  hall 
at  Longwith  Lodge,  Notts.  The  fireplace  is 
recessed,  has  a  hearth  of  glazed  tiles,  a  small, 
almost  square  opening,  with  surround  of  dull 
red  brick ;  this  is  placed  under  a  depressed 
brick  arch  resting  on  short  uprights.  The 
carved  wood  mantel  is  composed  of  two 
fluted  Ionic  colums  supporting  an  entabla- 
ture, consisting  of  frieze  with  heavy  mould- 
ings, projecting  cornice,  and  a  receding, 
truncated  conical  hood,  carried  to  the  ceiling 
cornice,  with  three  panels  indicated  by  raised 
mouldings.  Inside  the  columns  and  under 
the  architrave  are  thin  moulded  wood  jambs, 
the  lintel  forming  a  shelf  with  recessed  panels. 
A  still  more  modest  rendering  of  the  same 
type  is  the  chimneypiece  put  up  in  the  hall 
of  a  house  at  Bushey  by  Mr  H.  Kennard, 
which  is  designed  in  half  timbered  Eliza- 
bethan style.  It  is  of  stone,  with  raised 
hearth,  has  solid  wing  walls,  undercut  in 
front,  supporting  a  broad  upright  breast, 
with  neat  mouldings  at  base,  projecting 
cornice,  and  a  plain  truncated  conical  hood. 
The  inside  of  the  hearth  is  lined  with  red 
brick  and  has  a  handsome  metal  fire  grate. 

This  leads  us  naturally  to  modern  Renais- 
sance work,   which  is  marked  by  restraint 


CURRENT  PRACTICE  155 

and  quite  sensible  modifications.  A  good 
example  is  to  be  seen  in  Glasgow  flats, 
designed  for  persons  of  moderate  means,  by 
Mr  T.  L.  Watson.  The  hearth,  of  glazed 
tiles,  is  surrounded  by  a  marble  kerb.  The 
chimneypiece  itself  has  very  little  projection. 
It  is  composed  of  two  Doric  columns,  the 
plain  shafts  resting  on  decorated  bases, 
supporting  a  low  frieze  and  projecting 
cornice  with  flat  top.  This  is  carried  up 
about  6  ft.  6  in.,  within  about  3  ft.  of  the 
ceiling  cornice.  The  fire  opening  is  filled 
with  glazed  tiles,  and  a  modern  hooded 
metal  grate  with  fire  brick  lining,  framed  by 
strong  mouldings  forming  the  jambs  and 
lintel.  Above  this  is  a  narrow  breast  and  a 
projecting  shaped  shelf,  there  being  pro- 
jecting ledges  with  rounded  consoles  for  the 
clock  and  two  vases.  Behind  this  are  two 
panels  filled  with  mirrors,  divided  by  small 
pilasters  with  decorated  capitals. 

A  carved  oak  early  Renaissance  chimney- 
piece  which  we  have  seen  in  an  oak  panelled 
dining-room  showed  the  danger  of  designing 
in  a  style  without  realising  exactly  what 
it  means.  The  specimen  was  beautiful  in 
its  simple  dignity  of  outline  and  excellent 
finish.     The  fireplace,  with  rather  tall  rect- 


156  CHIMNEYPIECES 

angular  opening,  was  framed  with  a  band  of 
enriched  steel,  the  jambs  decorated  with  flat 
panels.  A  heavy  moulded  projecting  cornice, 
with  flat  shelf  top,  was  supported  by  two 
pairs  of  plain  shafted  Ionic  detached  columns, 
each  pair  standing  on  a  massive  joint  base. 
Above  the  panel  the  flat  breast  was  panelled, 
and  over  this  was  a  truncated  conical  hood, 
supported  by  two  pairs  of  voluted  consoles, 
the  panel  of  the  hood  being  decorated  with 
plain  raised  moulding.  The  absurdity  was, 
of  course,  that  this  well  proportioned,  taste- 
fully ornamented  hood  was  over  a  heavy 
projecting  shelf  and  flat  breast,  and  had  no 
connection  with  the  fireplace.  It  therefore 
not  only  served  no  purpose,  but  was  an 
obvious  anachronism. 

At  Huntercombe  Place,  Oxfordshire,  Mr 
O.  P.  Milne  has  designed  a  number  of  quite 
excellent  chimneypieces.  In  the  dining- 
room,  which  is  lined  with  dark  mahogany 
panelling,  we  see  a  white  marble  fireplace 
projecting  slightly  in  front  of  the  carved 
mahogany  surround,  the  breast  being  deco- 
rated with  two  wreaths  and  a  basket  of 
flowers.  Above  this  is  a  projecting  cornice, 
and  then  a  long  narrow  mirror,  divided  into 
three  sections ;  this  is  topped  by  a  simple 


CURRENT  PRACTICE  157 

cornice,  with  an  elaborate  enriched  frieze 
above.  In  another  room,  not  panelled,  of 
the  same  house  the  fire  opening  has  jambs 
of  glazed  bricks,  supporting  a  broad  lintel  of 
pictorial  glazed  tiles.  The  carved  wood 
surround  Is  carried  nearly  up  to  the  cornice, 
has  pilasters,  rounded  sides,  and  three  tall 
arched  niches.  At  the  Eastgate  Hotel, 
Oxford,  by  Mr  E.  P.  Warren,  we  have  an 
even  plainer,  but  quite  effective,  use  of  tall 
pillars  and  panels,  enclosing  a  strongly 
moulded  opening,  with  an  Independent  pro- 
jecting shelf  above. 

At  Urban  House,  York,  Mr  W.  H. 
Brierley  has  a  delightful  rendering  of  a 
continued  early  Renaissance  chlmneyplece. 
It  has  a  raised  hearth,  very  wide,  somewhat 
low  opening,  lined  with  bricks,  laid  in 
chevron  courses,  white  stone  plain  octagon 
columns,  without  capitals  or  bases,  supporting 
a  broad,  straight  breast,  ornamented  at  its 
lower  edge  by  a  chequered  inlay  in  white 
and  dark  stone,  a  projecting  cornice  forming 
a  narrow  shelf,  and  above  this  a  panel  with 
raised  mouldings,  corresponding  to  the 
panelling  of  the  room,  and  a  modest  cornice, 
with  plain  plaster  above  to  the  enriched 
ceiling  cornice. 


158  CHIMNEYPIECES 

At  Tuesley  Court,  near  Godalming,  Mr 
E.  Guy  Dawber  has  placed  in  a  rather  low 
pitched  room,  with  large  beam  ceiling, 
boarded  between,  a  fireplace  having  a  raised, 
slightly  projecting  hearth.  The  jambs  and 
lintel  are  of  stone,  with  slight  mouldings. 
The  fireplace  is  lined  with  bricks,  the  lower 
half  partly  filled  with  brickwork,  to  form 
a  well  fire,  provided  with  metal  bars  and  ash 
tray.  The  wood  surround  has  raised  and 
sunken  panels  with  plain  mouldings,  and  a 
projecting  cornice  provides  a  narrow  shelf. 

A  quaint,  though  useful  and  effective 
novelty  introduced  by  Mr  John  Murray  in 
the  new  building  for  H.M.  Office  of  Works, 
Forests  and  Land  Revenues,  is  a  projecting 
shelf,  placed  midway  between  the  fire  open- 
ing and  5  foot  high  flat  topped  cornice.  It 
is  apparently  supported  by  three  billet 
consoles.  Another  version  of  this  inde- 
pendent shelf  is  to  be  seen  at  Framewood, 
Stoke  Poges,  by  Mr  Gerald  Horslcy.  It  is 
in  the  green  stained  deal  panelled  dining- 
room,  where  the  fireplace  consists  of  a  heavy 
surround  and  kerb  of  Verona  marble.  The 
shelf  is  some  inches  above  this,  is  narrow, 
has  an  under  cornice  with  mouldings,  and 
small   fillets   in    a    sunk    moulding,   and   is 


CURRENT  PRACTICE  159 

supported   by   two   massive   consoles,    with 
panelled  frames  and  foliated  bases. 

A  richer  treatment  of  the  late  Renaissance 
style  is  to  be  seen  in  the  wood  panelled 
Board  Room  of  the  North  Eastern  Railway 
Company,  Westminster,  by  Mr  Horace 
Field  and  Mr  E.  Simmonds.  Here,  too, 
we  have  the  fireplace  opening  framed  with 
mottled  marble  jambs  and  lintel,  slightly 
shaped,  and  kerb.  Framing  this,  but  not 
touching  it,  is  a  raised  wood  moulding, 
foliated  on  the  outside,  with  well  carved  flat 
topped  cornice,  the  under  part  consisting  of 
acanthus  leaves.  Above  this,  again  as  an 
independent  decoration,  is  a  heavily  framed 
oblong  panel,  decorated  with  a  leaf  border 
and  a  central  wreath  in  coloured  wood  inlay. 
Over  the  frame,  and  falling  on  either  side, 
are  garlands  and  sprays  of  leaves  and  flowers, 
heavily  carved,  after  Grinling  Gibbons. 

Coming  to  work  in  a  more  frankly  modern 
spirit,  we  find  that  two  tendencies,  the 
coming  of  the  exiguous  flat  and  a  revived 
interest  in  panelling,  have  induced  great 
attention  to  be  paid  to  the  flattening  of  the 
chimneypiece  and  the  contrivance  of  the 
fireplace  within  the  thicknesses  of  the  wall. 
This   latter  device    has    sometimes   led   to 


i6o  CHIMNEYPIECES 

peculiar  results.  The  former  notion  that  a 
fireplace  should  be  placed  in  the  middle  of 
any  wall  has  been  abandoned,  because  it  has 
been  found  convenient  to  place  fireplaces  in 
adjoining  rooms,  not  back  to  back  as  was 
possible  when  the  hearth  projected  into  the 
room,  but  side  by  side,  the  two  being  divided 
by  a  curtain  wall  and  having  openings  in  the 
respective  rooms.  It  is  only  by  very  clever 
designing  that  such  lopsidedness  can  be 
made  tolerable,  and  only  under  very  rare 
conditions  that  it  appears  to  possess  in- 
evitable fitness.  As  a  rule,  however,  thanks 
to  the  modern  grate,  flatness  can  be  obtained 
without  such  daring  expedients.  Sometimes 
the  fire  opening  is  merely  framed  with 
slender  jambs  and  lintels  of  stone  or  wood, 
with  a  slightly  projecting  shelf,  or  more 
elaborate  "  continued "  panelling,  with  or 
without  niches.  At  other  times  we  find  a 
broad  expanse  of  glazed  tiles  or  bricks,  or 
marble,  framed  with  wood  or  marble,  either 
decorated  with  plain  mouldings  or  more  or 
less  heavily  carved.  The  raising  of  the 
hearth  in  such  cases  is  quite  common.  Some- 
times this  treatment  of  the  fireplace  is  formed 
in  conjunction  with  the  rather  artificially 
contrived  cosy  corner  or  ingle-nook.     In  the 


^i 


CURRENT  PRACTICE  i6i 

designing  of  the  interior  decoration  of  flats 
space  saving  can  be  very  effectively  gained 
by  lining  the  room  with  cupboards,  glazed  or 
otherwise.  This  is  decidedly  appropriate  for 
study  or  library.  Or  again  for  drawing- 
rooms,  when  pictures,  nick-nacks,  and  col- 
lections of  various  kinds  can  be  placed 
behind  the  glazing,  which  may  be  carried 
down  to  the  floor  or  not.  In  such  cases  the 
fireplace  is  simply  recessed  within  the  cup- 
board panelling,  and  may  be  provided  with 
recessed  shelving  in  a  variety  of  forms. 

Perhaps  one  of  the  most  striking  features 
of  the  rebellious  spirit  is  the  unexpected 
obtrusiveness  of  plain  red  or  buff  bricks. 
This  is  partly  due  to  the  desire  for  colour, 
but  far  more  to  the  resentment  against 
the  inordinate  use  of  stucco,  and  the  deter- 
mination that  materials  used  shall  justify 
themselves.  Opportunities  for  this  mani- 
festation of  independence  in  connection  with 
fireplace  building  are  innumerable,  and  have 
certainly  not  been  missed. 

That  a  highly  decorative  and  finished 
effect  may  be  produced  by  the  juxtaposition 
of  brick  and  wood  is  shown  by  the  work 
of  Mr  Cecil  Burns  at  the  Tunbridge  Wells 
and  Counties  Club.     We  illustrate  one  of  his 


i62  CHIMNEYPIECES 

chimneypieces  in  that  building,  which  strikes 
a  delightfully  fresh  note,  yet  one  full  of  dignity. 
The  handsome  arched  opening  is  in  rubbed 
bricks,  the  variations  in  surface  level  being 
excellent,  giving  such  picturesque  relief,  yet 
quite  in  keeping  with  the  material ;  while  the 
mantel,  in  Austrian  oak,  provides  a  quiet 
framing,  harmonising  the  brick  with  the 
dainty  surroundings.  Other  notes  of  artistic 
finish  and  sober  luxury  are  afforded  by  the 
highly  ornamental  iron  fire-grate  and  back 
(in  true  Sussex  style),  and  the  red  Stafford- 
shire tiled  hearth.  The  style  of  this  building 
is  Georgian  Renaissance,  and  we  find  in 
another  room  an  equally  successful  fireplace 
in  pure  neo-classic,  the  combination  being 
coloured  and  white  marble,  oak,  and  iron. 
The  decoration  is  quite  sober,  chiefly  bold 
mouldings  on  the  broad  cornices,  and  two 
small  swags  with  drops  on  the  narrow 
chimney  breast. 

The  contrast  between  red  glazed  bricks 
and  carved  stone  is  strikingly  illustrated  in 
a  chimneypiece  on  Jacobean  lines  which 
Messrs  Perkins  &  Bulmer  put  up  in  the  hall 
at  Shipton  Court,  Oxfordshire,  when  that  old 
mansion  was  remodelled.  We  have  a  stone 
chimneypiece  about  5  ft.  high,  with  Doric 


CURRENT  PRACTICE  163 

columns  in  the  angles,  a  projecting  cornice 
and  a  flat  hood,  with  cornice  carried  up  to 
the  ceiling.  The  fireplace  opening  is  a  wide 
depressed  arch,  springing  from  uprights, 
with  plain  mouldings.  This  opening  is 
partly  filled  up  with  glazed  bricks,  surround- 
ing a  modern  tiled  grate  with  beaten  metal 
hood. 

At  Shrewsbury  Court,  Chelsea,  Mr  C.  R. 
Ashbee  has  provided  one  of  the  flats  with  a 
plain  stone  surround,  consisting  of  jambs, 
narrow  breast,  with  cornice  and  narrow 
shelf  The  opening  is  square,  with  a  round 
moulding,  and  is  provided  with  an  arched 
stone  screen.  The  interior,  back  and  sides, 
is  in  red  stock  bricks,  carried  straight  up  to 
the  concealed  throat.  The  hearth,  sur- 
rounded by  a  square  stone  kerb,  is  paved 
with  greyish-blue  tiles.  A  square  wrought 
iron  fire-basket  stands  on  fairly  high  feet. 

At  Shovelstrode  Manor,  East  Grinstead, 
Mr  E.  Turner  Powell  has  a  remarkable  set 
of  semi-rustic  fireplaces,  showing  combina- 
tions of  stone  and  brick.  In  one  of  these 
the  fireplace  is  recessed,  the  side  walls  of 
brick  slant  inwards,  an  old  Sussex  iron  back 
being  framed  in  the  brickwork.  There  is  a 
wide,  low  frame  of  local  sandstone  with  good 


i64  CHIMNEYPIECES 

mouldings,  these  giving  a  slight  arching  to 
the  otherwise  square  opening.  Outside  of 
this  are  two  square  pilasters,  formed  of  large 
blocks  of  sandstone,  carried  up  to  the  ceiling. 
The  space  between  is  filled  with  stone,  with 
two  shallow  broad  niches  with  depressed 
arches,  the  backs  being  filled  with  bricks, 
placed  alternately  one  on  side  and  two  on 
edge.  In  another  instance  the  stone  sur- 
round is  flush  with  the  wall,  quite  plain, 
except  for  the  mouldings  at  the  opening, 
carried  round  the  top  and  halfway  down  the 
jambs.  There  is  a  decorated  oblong  panel 
at  the  top,  and  this,  with  the  stone  surround, 
is  marked  off  from  the  wall  by  a  thin  earthen- 
ware border,  decorated  with  oblique  flutings. 
The  fireplace  is  lined  with  small  red  bricks, 
the  wing  walls  at  a  slant.  A  plain  stone 
kerb  is  used.  In  a  third  instance  we  have 
a  square  opening,  with  a  narrow  edging  of 
stone,  the  plain  wood  panelling  flat  against 
the  wall,  with  an  independent  shelf  sup- 
ported by  a  stout  cornice.  The  fireplace  is 
lined  with  bricks,  the  wing  walls  straight, 
but  in  this  case  these  wing  walls  are  brought 
well  forward,  clear  of  the  stone  surround, 
the  top  part  being  cut  off  at  an  angle,  this 
leaving  a  tiny  triangular  shelf,  supported  by 


Turkish  Faience  Chimneypiece,  18th  Century. 


CURRENT  PRACTICE  165 

the  column  of  brick  below  on  each  side. 
This  fireplace  has  a  semi-circular  kerb  of 
sandstone.  Wherever  possible,  old  Sussex 
iron  fire-backs  have  been  sunk  in  the  brick- 
work. 

It  is  certainly  satisfactory  to  find  the 
growing  desire  to  use  local  materials  as 
much  as  possible,  not  merely  on  the  score 
of  greater  economy,  but  in  the  belief  that  in 
this  way  true  individuality  and  fitness  to 
surroundings  may  be  attained.  There  is  a 
good  deal  to  be  said  in  support  of  such  a 
theory,  which,  in  olden  days  imposed  by 
circumstances,  was  swept  away  when  im- 
proved transport  facilities  brought  in  a  reign 
of  white  marble. 

A  thoroughly  decorative  treatment  of  brick 
and  tile  is  to  be  seen  at  Marrowells,  Oatland 
Chase,  Walton-on-Thames,  where  Mr  A. 
Winter  Rose  has  some  very  original  chim- 
neypieces  in  a  pretty  house  of  Early  Georgian 
type.  As  regards  the  interior  treatment  the 
idea  has  been  to  accentuate  craftsmanship  as 
applied  to  appropriate  materials.  In  the  oak 
panelled  dining-room  we  have  a  fireplace 
with  a  wide,  low  opening,  surrounded  by 
narrow  stone  framing,  enriched  with  plain 
mouldings.     The  space  is  partly  filled  with 

M 


i66  CHIMNEYPIECES 

red  brick  walls,  having  a  recess  in  the  middle, 
in  which  the  metal  grate  is  placed.  This 
chimneypiece  is  at  the  end  of  the  room,  in  a 
kind  of  recess  formed  by  a  great  cross-beam, 
supported  by  two  free  and  two  engaged  oak 
columns,  resting  on  bases  partly  formed  of 
bricks.  This  note  of  simplicity  is  in  sharp 
contrast  to  the  fine  panelling  and  enriched 
plaster  ceiling.  On  the  first  landing,  where 
we  also  find  oak  columns  on  brick  bases, 
there  is  a  curious  recessed  fireplace,  remind- 
ing one  of  Romanesque  practice.  It  is  of 
brick  and  stone,  decoratively  treated,  with 
depressed  arch,  black  and  white  stone  hearth, 
an  iron  fire-back,  and  plain  fire-basket.  A 
more  decorative  type  has  a  plain  wood  flat 
surround,  a  slightly  projecting  shelf,  with  a 
semi-circular  protruberance  in  the  middle, 
supported  by  a  carved  wood  head  and  wings 
of  a  cherub.  The  opening  is  filled  flush  with 
small  square  glazed  tiles,  surrounded  by  a 
tall,  narrow  chimney  frame  with  copper,  and 
with  copper  tray.  In  front  of  the  well  is  a 
hearth  of  large  glazed  tiles.  But  we  come 
to  a  thoroughly  fresh  note  with  the  corner 
fireplace.  As  will  be  seen  by  our  illustra- 
tion, it  is  placed  in  the  angle  of  a  room,  and 
is  a  decorative  treatment  of  plain  bricks  and 


CURRENT  PRACTICE 


167 


terra-cotta,  with  brick  hearth  and  black 
kerb.  The  idea  is  again  carried  out  by 
the  stepped  brick  supports  for  the  overhead 
beam. 


FIELD  STONE  COTTAGE  FIREPLACE. 


Fireplaces  placed  as  the  one  last  described 
in  angles  of  rooms  have  once  more  come 
into  favour,  both  for  country  houses  and 
town  flats.  They  have  the  advantage  of 
taking  up  little  room,  and  also  facilitating 


i68  CHIMNEYPIECES 

the  arrangement  of  flues  and  chimney-stacks, 
by  making  backing  somewhat  easier. 

Sir  R.  S.  Lorimer  has  a  striking  design  of 
this  type  at  Ardkinglas,  Argyllshire.  The 
chimneypiece,  of  carved  stone,  is  placed  in 
the  angle  of  a  dressing-room,  which  is  lined 
with  a  high  dado  of  stone.  The  hearth  is 
raised,  with  a  semi-circular  kerb  and  brick 
floor.  Both  walls  are  lined  with  small  bricks. 
Flat  pillar  jambs,  with  prominent  pedestals 
and  capitals,  project  into  the  room  and  sup- 
port a  straight  breast,  adorned  over  the 
opening  with  a  scalloped  fan  in  half  circle. 
Above  this  is  a  flat  cornice  and  a  hood 
carried  in  two  sections  sharply  back  to  the 
wall.  The  fire  is  carried  in  a  small  basket, 
the  front  semi-circular,  with  vertical  bars, 
the  back  angled,  this  being  suspended  against 
the  brick  walls  nearly  halfway  up  between  the 
hearth  and  the  lintel.  It  is  a  very  interest- 
ing treatment  of  the  subject,  quite  in  keeping 
with  a  stone-built  house  designed  on  rather 
severe  lines,  differing  considerably  from  Mr 
Winter  Rose's  solution  ;  also  from  the  more 
elaborate  specimens  at  Hampton  Court,  and 
coming  closer  in  feeling  to  the  work  of 
Smithson  at  Bolsover  Castle. 

In  the  "week-end"  cottage  and  "simple 


CURRENT  PRACTICE 


169 


life "  suburban  house,  brick  chimneypieces 
in  connection  with  plain  distempered  or 
panelled  walls  have  become  popular.  A 
charming  arrangement  of  this  kind,  includ- 


AMERICAN  USE  OF  BRICK  AND  FIELD  STONES. 

ing  a   hood  and  shelf  and  cosy  corner,   is 
sketched  in  our  chapter  on  "  Ingle  Nooks." 
In   America  the  simple  note   of  the  un- 
concealed brick  has  also  been  utilised.      Mr 


I/O  CHIMNEYPIECES 

C.  K.  Klauder,  in  a  house  which  he  has  de- 
signed and  constructed  for  himself  at  Mount 
Airy,  Philadelphia,  has  a  plain  brick  breast 
with  arched  opening  in  a  panelled  room,  the 
only  adornment  being  a  plain  shelf,  sup- 
ported on  square  billets  jutting  out  from  the 
wall.  Mr  Howard  Shaw,  in  a  house  he 
built  at  Forest  Lake,  Illinois,  has  two  heavy 
brick  pillars  rising  from  floor  to  ceiling,  a 
broad  straight  lintel,  and  a  recessed  breast, 
all  in  plain  brick.  In  our  sketch  we  show 
an  even  more  direct  employment  of  brick. 
The  hearth  of  broken  field  stones  shows 
another  tendency  springing  up  in  America, 
of  building  the  fireplace  itself  of  rough  field 
stones.  This  is  shown  in  a  second  sketch, 
though  examples  of  far  more  irregular  treat- 
ment of  the  stones  could  be  found.  It  is, 
of  course  a  conventionalised  reminiscence 
of  the  rough  stone  chimneypiece  built  by 
settlers  in  old  log  huts. 

One  of  the  remarkable  innovations  in 
building  economics  of  recent  years  has  been 
the  introduction  of  artificial  stones.  This 
has  proved  of  immense  benefit,  because  these 
materials  are  moulded,  not  carved,  obviously 
a  much  cheaper  process.  Moreover,  they 
are   uniform   in   character  and   appearance, 


CURRENT  PRACTICE  171 

therefore  strong,  durable,  and  presenting  no 
"faults"  to  worry  the  sculptor.     Some  of 
these  stones  are  more  correctly  called  re- 
constructed   than     artificial,    as     they    are 
actually  produced  from  the  debris  of  natural 
stones,    which    are     disintegrated,    treated 
chemically,    and    then    under    tremendous 
pressure   reconstituted    into   practically   the 
original  stone,  whether   granular   or   meta- 
morphic,    but    really   more    hard,   compact, 
and  without  a  flaw.    This  process  is  specially 
successful   with   the   oolitic  and  magnesian 
limestones,    though    capable    of    far    wider 
application.      Indeed,   another  process  of  a 
similar  kind  provides  us  with  reconstructed 
marble.     Now,  in  the  process  of  compression, 
the    stone    is    moulded    into    blocks,    slabs, 
pilasters,    pillars,    consoles,    pediments,  cor- 
nices, and  so  on.     In  this  way  very  elaborate 
decorative   work   can    be    secured    in    hard 
stones  and  marbles  at  quite  a  cheap  rate, 
certainly  less  costly  and  better  in  detail  than 
when   inferior   carving   is   utilised.     Where 
the  ultra  smoothness  and  regularity  of  the 
mould  is  objected  to,  slight  tooling  may  be 
utilised   to   give   the   finishing  touch.     Re- 
markably   fine    chimneypieces    have    been 
produced  by  these  various  processes,  both 


172  CHIMNEYPIECES 

when  a  single  material  or  a  mixture  of 
stones  has  been  required.  This  moulding, 
whether  or  not  bearing  the  tool  marks  of 
the  stonemason  finisher,  is  certainly  far  in 
advance  artistically  to  the  boxed  marble, 
granite  and  slatework  for  chimneypieces. 
Where  moderate  expenditure  and  saving  of 
time  are  essential,  these  reconstructed  stones 
and  marbles  are  genuine  acquisitions.  Even 
if  the  reproduction  of  the  artist's  design  is 
mechanical,  it  makes  it  possible  to  bring  the 
design  within  the  reach  of  those  of  slender 
purses. 

Coming  within  the  category  of  artificial 
stones  is  concrete,  which,  with  its  top 
dressing  of  cement  variously  manipulated, 
often  masquerades  as  stone,  marble  or 
granite.  Concrete  is  now  being  extensively 
used  for  the  construction  of  fireplaces  in 
England,  but  even  more  commonly  so  in 
America,  where  the  concrete -built  house, 
even  of  considerable  size  and  claims  to 
architectural  importance,  is  becoming  quite 
an  institution.  Such  fireplaces  are  some- 
times moulded  in  situ,  being  made  mono- 
lithic with  the  walls ;  sometimes  built  up  of 
moulded  members,  in  the  same  way  as 
hollow  and  solid  blocks  and  slabs  are  used. 


o 


OQ 


CURRENT  PRACTICE  173 

Sometimes  the  concrete  for  the  fireplaces 
has  a  specially  selected  aggregate  chosen, 
and  then  the  material  stands  confessed  for 
what  it  is;  or  it  may  be  finished  with  a 
dressing  of  fine  sand  concrete,  or  of  a  cement 
drying  with  a  hard  polished  surface,  colour- 
ing then  often  being  introduced.  When  a 
special  concrete  is  used  for  the  fireplace  — 
generally  a  hard  drying  cement,  with  fine 
sand,  small  pebble,  or  crushed  stone  aggre- 
gate— panels,  cornices  and  other  decorations 
are  introduced  by  employing  shaped  moulds, 
or  by  pressing  dies  for  panels  and  similar 
ornaments,  and  running  mould  patterns  for 
producing  cornices  on  the  material  when 
formed,  but  before  it  has  quite  set. 

Another  method  which  has  its  many 
advocates,  is  to  embed  terra-cotta  or  carved 
stone  panels,  or  encaustic  tiles,  in  the  wet 
concrete.  When  the  jambs,  lintel,  and 
breast  are  further  decorated,  with  plain 
depressed  or  raised  mouldings,  this  has  a 
very  good  effect.  With  encaustic  tiles  we 
may  have  merely  panels  or  borders,  leaving 
the  rest  of  the  surface,  cemented  or  not, 
visible.  On  the  other  hand  the  tiles  are  also 
applied  lavishly,  so  as  to  cover  the  whole 
surface,  perhaps  leaving  narrow  bands  of  the 


174  CHIMNEYPIECES 

concrete  uncovered.  The  cement  of  the 
concrete  is  sometimes  coloured.  This  en- 
crusted decoration,  which  may  approach  in 
its  elaboration  to  mosaic  work,  small  tiles  of 
different  colours  being  used,  has  suggested 
another  and  more  natural  form  of  ornamenta- 
tion. 

Partly    as    a    result    of   that    search   for 
simplicity  already  noted,  partly  of  that  other 
desire,  to  allow  the  material  used  to  tell  its 
own   tale,    attention    has    been   devoted   to 
embellishing  the  material  itself.     One  way 
was  to  colour  the  cement.     If  this  is  done 
judiciously,  delightful  harmonies  and  contrasts 
may  be  obtained  with  the  mottled  chimney- 
pieces  and  the  distempered  or  panelled  walls. 
Combinations  may  range  in  warm  tints  from 
light  yellow  browns  to  reddish  brown  cement 
with  flint  or  white  sandstone  aggregate,  or 
we  may  have  a  quiet  tone  of  green  cement 
with  brown  or  white  aggregate  and  fumed  or 
dark  oak  wall  panelling.     From  tinting  the 
cement  and  using  the  aggregate  as  a  foil, 
the  next  step  was  to  pay  particular  attention 
to  the  artistic  possibilities  of  the  aggregate 
itself,  and  to  accentuate  its  special  beauties. 
Suitably  coloured  marbles  or  granites  and 
the  commoner  forms  of  agates  are  chosen, 


CURRENT  PRACTICE  175 

broken  into  large  or  small  pieces  as  desired, 
but   usually   as   thin   and   with    as    smooth 
flat  surfaces  as  possible.     Commonly  ordinary 
concrete  is  used  for  the  foundation  work,  and 
the  concrete  with  the  selected  aggregate  is  put 
on  as  a  surface  dressing,  of  course  while  the 
body  is  still  wet,  in  order  to  secure  perfect 
cohesion,    which    is   further    promoted    by 
leaving  the  under  surface  rough.     When  the 
top    dressing    has    nearly    set    firm,    it    is 
scrubbed  with  a  hard  bristle  or  wire  brush 
and  acidulated  water,  the   object   being  to 
remove  part  of  the  cement  and  expose  the 
coloured  surface  of  the  aggregate.     When 
the  scraping  has  been  carried  far  enough,  the 
surface  is  washed  with  clear  water,  to  remove 
every  trace  of  acid,  and  so  prevent  continued 
chemical  action,  other  than  the  natural  ones 
accompanying  the  hardening  and  dehydration 
of  the  cement.     If  a  good  choice  has  been 
made  of  the  aggregate,  very  beautiful  as  well 
as  strikingly  original  effects  may  be  obtained. 
Some  of  these  chimneypieces  look  as  though 
they  were  made  of  slices  of  those  conglo- 
merate agates,  of  the  "plum  pudding"  type. 
To  enhance  this  latter  effect  the  cement  may 
be  of  the  hard,  polished  surface-drying  class, 
such   as    "  Parian,"   and    tinted ;    then   the 


176  CHIMNEYPIECES 

scrubbing  process  is  very  gentle,  no  acid 
being  used  in  the  water,  the  finishing 
operation  being  burnishing.  As  a  rule, 
however,  a  roughish,  rustic  finish  is  pre- 
ferred. Very  frequently  this  surface  treat- 
ment is  adopted  in  combination  with  the 
embedding  of  terra-cotta  plaques  or  carved 
stone  panels. 

One  advantage  of  this  method  is  that 
endless  variety  may  be  secured  with  very 
little  trouble,  and  at  next  to  no  expense. 
Fossiliferous  drifts,  agates  from  the  sea-shore, 
stalactites  from  quarries  will  produce  variety 
that  may  be  pleasantly  reminiscent.  For 
the  chimneypieces  could  be  constructed  on 
the  same  lines  as  those  adopted  by  an 
eccentric  house-builder  on  the  outskirts  of 
Bethlehem,  Pennsylvania,  who  had  the  outer 
walls  of  his  concrete  dwelling  encrusted  with 
stones,  shells,  petrified  wood,  minerals, 
pebbles,  and  other  odds  and  ends  gathered 
from  places  in  nearly  every  State  of  the 
Union  which  he  had  visited  during  a  period 
of  twenty  years.  This  is,  indeed,  a  humble 
imitation  of  the  chimneypiece  building 
methods  of  Pope  Pius  VII.,  who,  as  we  have 
mentioned  in  the  preceding  chapter,  utilised 
fragments   of    ancient    sculpture   and   vivid 


CURRENT  PRACTICE  177 

mosaics  to  enrich  the  one  he  presented  to 
Napoleon  Bonaparte. 

When  no  attempt  is  made  to  disguise  the 
fact  that  the  chimneypieces  are  of  concrete, 
the  design  ought  to  be  characterised  by 
perfect  simplicity  of  outline  and  plain  mould- 
ings, preferably  rounded.  When  the  style 
of  handling  is  adhered  to,  the  semi-plastic 
nature  of  the  material  is  respected.  In  other 
words,  the  decoration  of  concrete  should 
suggest  the  work  of  the  inlayer  and  moulder, 
not  that  of  the  carver,  and  the  more  con- 
spicuous the  feature  the  more  closely  should 
this  be  observed.  Although  this  aspect  of 
the  subject  is  comparatively  unimportant  in 
England  as  yet,  it  is  likely  to  come  into 
greater  prominence  with  the  rapidly  in- 
creasing employment  of  concrete  as  a  material 
for  house-building. 

Terra-cotta,  both  glazed  and  unglazed,  is 
fast  coming  into  use  for  chimneypieces 
beautiful  moulding  being  obtainable  in  this 
material  at  moderate  cost.  In  both  types 
excellent  colour  schemes  can  be  devised,  the 
unglazed  providing  many  shades  of  yellows, 
browns,  and  reds,  while  the  glazed  gives 
a  full  range  of  colours  in  sober  tints.  The 
two    combine    together    very    well.      This 


178  CHIMNEYPIECES 

material  is  admirably  suited  to  more  or  less 
monumental  fireplaces  for  the  reception 
rooms  of  public  buildings,  and  also  for  halls 
of  private  residences  when  a  somewhat 
formal  style  of  decoration  is  adopted. 

Great  advance  has  been  made  in  the 
manufacture  and  ornamentation  of  encaustic 
tiles,  slabs,  and  blocks,  and  these  are  largely 
used  for  chimneypieces.  Here,  too,  we 
have  both  modelling  and  moulding  of  plastic 
material,  here  decorated  with  permanent 
colours,  flat,  sunk,  or  embossed  embellish- 
ments. For  every  chimneypiece  made  solely 
of  glazed  earthenware,  with  brick  fireplace 
lining,  at  least  a  hundred  have  encaustic  tiles 
blended  with  other  materials,  these,  as  we 
have  seen,  consisting  of  brick,  stone, 
wood,  enamelled  iron  and  concrete.  Apart 
from  their  cleanliness  and  brightness,  and 
the  assistance  they  afford  in  carrying  out 
decorative  colour  schemes,  they  are  excellent 
reflectors  of  light  and  heat.  The  purity  and 
uniformity  of  colouring  obtained  with  modern 
glazed  earthenware  has  been  a  source  of 
pride,  but  it  is  sometimes  felt  that  this 
uniformity  may  amount  to  hardness  and 
this  purity  to  crudity.  For  this  reason 
leadless  glazed  ware  is  often  preferred,  as  by 


Brick  Angle  Fireplace,  by  Mr.  A.  Winter  Rose. 


CURRENT  PRACTICE  179 

this  process  there  is  always  a  certain 
difference  of  density  in  colouring,  with 
occasional  more  marked  and  unexpected 
variations,  which  give  the  products  a  real 
artistic  value,  like  the  sang  de  bosuf  red 
of  Golf  Juan.  This  leadless  glaze  is,  of 
course,  applicable  equally  to  tiles,  panels, 
friezes,  and  moulded  blocks.  We  remember 
noting  a  remarkable  contrast  on  one  occasion. 
A  handsome  chimneypiece  in  tawny  brown 
lead  -  glazed  earthenware,  decorated  with 
finely  moulded  floral  and  figure  ornamenta- 
tion in  relief,  and  having  vivid  red  lustre 
panels,  which  stood  out  richly  as  a  fitting 
piece  for  a  stately  hall ;  then  a  chimneypiece 
in  blue  and  green  leadless  glazed  ware,  the 
colours  soft,  varying  in  intensity,  blending 
with  each  other,  producing  a  beautiful 
harmony,  as  interesting  in  its  gradations  as  it 
was  restful  to  the  eye.  Where  tiles  are  used 
in  narrow  bands,  or  to  obtain  a  vivid  note  of 
colour  or  jewel  effect,  lead  -  glazed  ware 
should  be  chosen,  but  when  the  tiles,  or 
panels,  are  used  in  mass,  the  leadless  glaze 
is  more  beautiful  and  infinitely  more  in- 
teresting. 

Little    need    be   said    of   the    cast    iron 
chimneypieces,  jambs,  lintel,  and  shelf,  some- 


i8o  CHIMNEYPIECES 

times  overmantel,  all  in  one  piece.  They  are 
economical  and  frequently  of  very  good 
design,  can  be  enamelled  any  colour  to  suit 
other  decorations,  and  make  acceptable  sur- 
rounds for  enamelled  and  encaustic  tiles, 
bricks,  or  stone.  But  there  is  no  disguising 
the  harshness  of  outline  associated  with  a 
blurring  of  detail  when  elaborate  designs  are 
attempted.  They  fill  a  useful  place,  and  are 
an  improvement  on  much  of  the  rule  of 
thumb  handiwork  of  a  generation  ago. 

Examples  might  be  multiplied  indefinitely, 
but  we  have  said  enough  to  give  an  idea 
of  the  freedom  with  which  the  subject  is 
treated  in  these  days,  and  the  sincerity  with 
which  it  is  approached  by  all  architects 
anxious  to  rise  above  the  commonplace. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

THE    "  INGLE  -  NOOK." 

While  the  term  ingle-nook  is  modern,  the 
thing  itself  is  old  enough,  for  the  chimney- 
corner  was  early  contrived  by  comfort-loving 
man,  when  the  fireplace  began  to  be  enclosed 
by  side  walls  and  crowned  with  a  hood.  As 
we  have  seen  while  examining  various  speci- 
mens of  the  Gothic  and  Renaissance  periods, 
the  necessity  for  having  large  hearths  to 
burn  big  logs  and  faggots  of  wood,  and  then 
to  provide  bigger  smoke  -  collecting  hoods 
and  protecting  walls  in  large  draughty  com- 
mon halls,  resulted  in  the  building  of  small 
rooms  within  large  ones.  Those  who  were 
attending  the  fire  and  cooking  pots  or  roast- 
ing spit  naturally  stood  on  the  hearth,  within 
the  walls  and  under  the  hood.  It  was  a 
position  that  had  its  charms  on  cold  raw 
nights,  and  when  quiet  gossip  had  to  be 
i8i  N 


i82  CHIMNEVPIECES 

exchanged,  so  the  placing  of  a  settle  against 
the  inner  side  wall  came  about,  and  then  the 
host  and  hostess  assumed  the  privilege  of 
occupying  these  seats,  sitting  sociably  side 
by  side,  as  in  the  example  from  Prittlewell, 
or  on  benches  placed  on  opposite  sides  of 
the  hearth.  Here  confidences  were  ex- 
changed, grave  counsel  debated,  and  light 
gossip  indulged  in.  It  provided  the  privy 
cabinet  just  away  from  the  domestic  forum 
of  the  hall. 

It  is  interesting  to  compare  these  pro- 
visions for  the  amenities  of  conversation 
with  those  prevailing  among  the  Greeks 
and  Romans.  Dark  winter  days  and  chilly 
nights  suggested  to  peoples  of  cold  climes 
the  hearth  as  the  fitting  place  to  meet  side 
by  side,  face  to  face,  and  chat  over  matters 
in  particular,  or  discourse  on  matters  at  large. 
The  Greeks  and  Romans  also  sat  side  by 
side,  face  to  face,  but  on  the  semi-circular 
exedrae,  originally  recessed  seats  built  in 
the  porticoes,  even  in  the  gardens,  and  then 
in  the  long  galleries  provided  for  summer 
and  winter  exercise. 

As  a  thing  of  actual  utility,  the  chimney 
corner  saw  its  heyday  in  the  Middle  Ages, 
when  the  hearth  was  raised  one  or  more 


THE  INGLE  NOOK  183 

steps  from  the  floor,  the  wing  walls  brought 
well  into  the  hall,  and  even  turned  at  right 
angles  for  a  short  distance  when  they  reached 
the  end  of  the  hearthstone,  thus  producing  a 
perfect  recess,  while  the  hood  was  placed 
high  enough  to  enable  a  man  to  stand 
upright  within  it.  But  when  builders  began 
to  improve  on  their  methods,  and  such  com- 
forts as  door  screens,  panelled  walls  and 
heavy  tapestries  were  introduced,  the  day  of 
the  cosy  corner  was  waning.  The  wing  walls 
gradually  dwindled  away  to  column  supports 
or  to  mere  wall  pilasters,  with  brackets  ex- 
tending under  the  projecting  hoods.  In  inns 
and  the  living  rooms  of  farmhouses,  however, 
the  chimney  corner  still  continued  to  be  re- 
quired and  was  provided  long  after  such 
things  had  been  discarded  when  new  mansions 
were  being  built  or  old  ones  remodelled. 

It  was  from  the  farmhouse  that  the  revival 
of  the  chimney  corner,  the  advent  of  the 
ingle-nook  came  about;  though  in  one  form 
it  is  due  to  the  introduction  into  our  sitting 
rooms  of  carved  screens  from  the  East, 
which  suggested  an  improvement  on  the 
folding  doors  dividing  our  suites  of  reception 
rooms,  separating  the  larger  general  from  the 
smaller  and  more  private. 


184  CHIMNEYPIECES 

But  types  are  many,  and  sub-divisions  of 
those  types  endless ;  we  can  only  consider 
some  of  the  most  characteristic  and  usefully 
suggestive.  Probably  the  most  alluring  of 
modern  contrivances  are  those  of  homely 
design,  having  the  appearance  of  some 
natural  excrescences  with  which  men  and 
women  surround  themselves  for  their  own 
convenience  and  pleasure.  In  many  cases, 
however,  more  ambitious  constructional  aims 
are  apparent.  For  instance,  we  sometimes 
see  in  large  halls,  of  say  the  neo-classic, 
Georgian,  or  Empire  styles,  an  alcove  with 
an  opening  formed  by  a  depressed  arch 
springing  from  pilasters.  Such  alcoves  are 
usually  provided  with  a  handsome  monu- 
mental hreplace,  while  benches  are  built 
round  the  walls,  or  settees  placed  against 
them.  Usually,  too,  there  are  windows  on 
each  side  of  the  alcove,  which  may  be  square 
or  semi-circular,  the  windows  opening  breast 
high,  or  carried  nearly  from  floor  to  cornice, 
even  occasionally  opening  into  a  garden  or 
conservatory,  or  on  to  a  terrace.  This,  it 
may  be  said,  is  placing  a  chimneypiece  in  an 
alcove,  quite  a  good  idea  in  itself,  rather 
than  providing  an  ingle-nook.  Perhaps  the 
same  remark  applies  to  the  curious  arrange- 


THE  INGLE  NOOK  185 

ment  of  a  bedroom-boudoir.  The  sleeping 
apartment  was  large,  the  sitting-room  a  small 
adjunct,  placed  in  an  alcove,  the  half  of  an 
octagon  in  shape,  some  two  steps  below  the 
bedroom  floor  level,  and  built  over  a  portico. 
The  partition  wall  was  mostly  cut  away, 
while  two  fluted  Doric  columns,  springing 
from  the  end  of  a  low  wall,  supported  a 
deep  panelled  frieze.  The  low  wall  was 
continued  to  the  partition,  where  engaged 
Doric  columns  were  placed.  In  the  opening 
betv/een  these  dwarf  parapet  walls,  provided 
with  cornice  ledges,  and  the  columns  were 
two  long,  broad,  shallow  steps.  Facing  this 
opening  was  a  pleasant  white  enamelled 
wood  chimneypiece,  with  an  inner  border  of 
glazed  tiles.  Long,  low,  leaded  casements 
were  placed  on  four  sides  of  the  room. 

Still  in  this  class  is  the  cosy  corner 
provided  by  Mr  O.  P.  Milne  in  the  panelled 
billiard-room  of  Huntercombe  Place,  Oxford- 
shire, a  house  already  referred  to  in  these 
pages.  The  fireplace,  a  broad,  low  one  in 
carved  stone,  with  panel  above,  is  placed 
at  the  end  of  a  rather  deep  alcove,  12  ft. 
wide  by  7  ft.  deep,  which  is  built  out  from 
the  side  of  the  house,  with  wooden  backed 
benches  against   the  walls  and  a   movable 


I8^  CHIMNEYPIECES 

settee  placed  in  front.  There  are  no 
windows  in  this  case.        > 

Another  successful  way  of  dealing  with  a 
billiard-room  chimneypiece  is  to  be  seen  in 
the  Ivy  Club  at  Princeton  University.  It  is 
placed  in  a  fairly  deep  arched  alcove,  two 
steps  above  the  floor.  The  fireplace  is  re- 
cessed, is  of  white  stone,  plainly  dressed,  the 
wide  breast  being  arched,  the  interior  lined 
with  bricks.  Above  the  breast  is  a  broad 
band  of  red  bricks,  with  three  small  arched 
niches,  surrounded  by  a  projecting  cornice 
with  flat  shelf  top.  The  rest  of  the  walls 
are  panelled,  but  over  the  wood  box-seats 
with  leather  cushions,  placed  at  an  angle 
to  give  a  view  of  the  tables,  the  walls  are 
upholstered  with  leather.  Non-players  are 
thus  out  of  the  way,  where  they  may  chat 
and  look  on  at  the  games  in  comfort. 

Very  good  effects  may  be  produced  by 
raising  the  hearth  merely  slightly  above  the 
floor  level,  or  as  in  the  above  instance, 
several  steps  high.  While  this  adds  to  the 
decorative  value  of  the  fireplace  and  its 
immediate  surroundings,  it  does  not  always 
add  to  the  comfort  of  those  in  the  main  part 
of  the  hall  or  room,  and  is,  besides,  quite 
unsuited     for     certain     styles     of     interior 


THE  INGLE  NOOK  187 

decoration.     This    device    should    not    be 
abused. 

In  a  house  at  Caterham,  where  red  brick, 
distempered  walls  and  plain  sawn  white 
wood  stained  green  are  the  prevailing 
materials,  Mr  Barry  Parker  and  Mr  Ray- 
mond Unwin  have  provided  an  ideal  arrange- 
ment. The  fireplace,  with  red  brick  tile  and 
a  semi-circular  projecting  low  and  narrow 
hood  of  red  brick,  with  arched  opening 
and  flat  top  covered  with  a  green  stained 
wooden  shelf,  is  placed  in  the  middle  of 
an  alcove,  contrived  in  a  recess,  framed  by 
great  square  beams  of  wood  and  a  screen 
arch.  Above  the  fireplace  is  a  projecting 
cupboard,  in  three  parts,  the  centre  carried 
to  the  ceiling,  the  side  wings  only  half  way 
up,  with  flat  tops.  These  are  of  white  wood 
stained  green,  with  long  hinge-guards  of  red 
copper,  and  narrow  panels  of  glass.  The 
end  walls  are  panelled  with  green  stained 
wood  cupboards,  having  an  arched  recess 
beneath,  with  shelf,  whence  the  panelling  is 
carried  down  at  a  slant  to  low  box  benches, 
provided  with  red  cushions.  The  floor  is 
paved  with  narrow  blue  glazed  tiles.  The 
uncovered  parts  of  the  back  wall  are  dis- 
tempered with  a  high  dado  in  peacock  blue, 


r88  CHIMNEYPIECES 

and  a  greyish  blue  above.  The  ceiling 
is  partly  panelled,  partly  distempered. 

Another  happy  design  of  these  two  archi- 
tects is  to  be  seen  in  a  low  ceiled  plaster  and 
stained  beam  living-room  at  Mansfield. 
This,  too,  is  in  a  spacious  alcove,  the  open- 
ing being  spanned  by  a  great  beam  resting 
on  two  block  brackets  and  supporting  a 
narrow  screen  wall.  The  walls  are  panelled 
with  narrow  planks,  and  there  is  a  flat  shelf 
with  distempered  walls  above.  Shaped  wing 
guards  end  the  plain  cushioned  benches  on 
the  room  side.  The  fireplace  is  recessed, 
with  an  arched  opening  and  a  rounded 
breast,  terminating  at  the  panelled  level, 
where  it  is  continued  as  a  square  projection, 
with  a  framed  picture  in  front,  to  the  ceiling. 
Against  the  back  wall  there  is  a  second 
range  of  shelves  for  books. 

In  some  chambers  built  by  Mr  Reginald 
Morphew  in  Jermyn  Street,  W.,  there  is  a 
pleasant  ingle-nook,  recessed  in  the  thickness 
of  the  wall.  The  opening  is  framed  on  one 
side  with  a  single  square  wood  post,  on  the 
other  with  two,  supporting  a  large  square 
beam,  which  in  turn  supports  a  narrow 
screen  wall  rising  to  the  ceiling.  The  fire- 
place is  of  plain  marble,  flush  with  the  wall, 


THE  INGLE  NOOK  189 

with  narrow  shelf,  the  opening  being  filled 
with  small  glazed  tiles  and  a  narrow  grate  with 
copper  hood.  A  marble  sharp-angled  kerb 
is  provided.  The  back  wall,  divided  into 
narrow  panels  by  slender  flat  fillets  of  stained 
wood,  is  distempered.  The  space  between 
the  two  posts  on  one  side  is  panelled  with 
narrow  boards,  about  4  ft.  6  in.  high,  and 
pierced  with  two  heart-shaped  peepholes. 
On  the  opposite  side  there  is  a  shaped  guard 
board,  with  a  short  upright  post  at  the  end, 
which  projects  above  the  board  and  ter- 
minates in  a  square  top.  Behind  these 
screens  are  two  shelf  seats,  cushioned,  and 
with  cushioned  backs. 

Mr  E.  Guy  Dawber,  in  a  cottage  dining- 
room  panelled  with  Austrian  light  oak, 
provides  a  very  attenuated  but  at  the  same 
time  decorative  version  of  the  cosy  corner. 
The  ingle-nook  is  contrived  in  the  thickness 
of  the  panelling.  The  hearth  is  raised,  the 
centre  part  projecting  into  the  room.  A 
low,  wide  opening  is  provided  for  the  fire, 
and  is  lined  with  very  narrow  glazed  bricks. 
An  oblong  wrought  iron  barred  fire-basket 
is  provided  with  projecting  uprights  in 
copper,  with  copper  ovals  placed  vertically, 
thus  producing  the  effect  of  an  open  hearth 


190  CHIMNEYPIECES 

with  andirons.  The  wall  to  the  riorht  and 
left  and  above  the  opening  for  about  a  foot 
is  covered  with  glazed  tiles.  This  is  framed 
by  heavy  oak  moulding,  arranged  as  a 
cornice,  with  flat  ledge  over  the  fire.  The 
rest  of  the  wall  is  panelled,  decorated  with 
mouldings,  with  a  little  plain  inlay  of  darker 
coloured  wood.  Over  the  opening  of  this 
recess  there  is  an  oak  border,  with  scrolled 
fretwork  border,  and  a  slight  projecting 
cornice.  Above  this  is  a  plain  frieze,  broad, 
flat,  reaching  to  the  flat  ceiling,  which  is 
ornamented  with  an  enriched  plaster  border 
all  round  the  room. 

A  flat  in  Buckingham  Street,  Strand, 
contains  a  delightfully  comfortable,  pictur- 
esque ingle-nook  that  must  prove  a  sore  trial 
to  the  ghost  of  formal  Robert  Adam,  if  it 
ever  wanders  away  from  the  neighbouring 
Adelphi.  The  fireplace  is  of  red  bricks, 
with  a  low  rectangular  opening,  and  is 
surrounded  by  richly  carved  dark  oak 
panelling,  fitted  with  numerous  small  shelves 
and  two  little  projecting  cabinets  with  lead- 
glazed  doors.  The  cosy  corner  is  contrived 
by  two  wings  of  carved  oak  panelling,  about 
3  ft.  high,  two  small  pillars  rising  from 
the  projecting  moulding  and  supporting  a 


2 
>. 


THE  INGLE  NOOK  191 

projecting  cornice,  above  which  is  a  trun- 
cated conical  hood,  built  of  planks,  and 
ending  in  another  cornice.  The  wide  open- 
ing is  spanned  by  narrow  arched  beams, 
while  the  side  spaces  between  the  panelling 
and  the  hood  are  filled  with  lead  glazing. 

A  modification  of  this  is  seen  in  the  draw- 
ing-room of  a  house  at  Rushington,  Sussex, 
built  by  Mr  R.  Heywood  Haslam.  It  is 
intended  to  guard  against  the  draughts  from 
two  doors,  one  in  the  end  wall  and  one  in 
the  side  wall  at  the  end,  this  last  leading 
into  the  hall.  This  part  of  the  room  is 
partly  cut  off  by  a  pendant  screen  wall,  with 
a  panelled  frieze  provided  with  three  arches, 
two  leading  to  the  doors  mentioned,  the 
middle  one  to  the  ingle-nook.  The  fireplace 
is  of  glazed  tiles,  with  copper  bands  and 
panel  surround,  this  panelling  being  carried 
at  right  angles  to  form  wing  walls.  These 
wings  are  terminated  by  square  wooden 
beams,  rising  to  the  arched  frieze,  and  about 
eighteen  inches  from  these  are  two  more 
similar  pillars,  each  pair  joined  together  by 
low  panel  walls  about  three  feet  high.  The 
free  opening  between  the  two  pairs  of  pillars 
is  about  six  feet.  Benches  are  fitted  up  in- 
side.   Above  the  fireplace,  carried  from  panel 


192  CHIMNEYPIECES 

to  panel,  is  a  glazed  bookcase,  with  flat  top, 
used  as  a  shelf. 

This  reminds  us  of  a  suggestion  put  for- 
ward by  Mr  G.  G.  Samson  for  a  five-roomed 
bungalow.  The  main  entrance  is  by  way  of 
a  verandah  through  a  lobby  into  the  large 
living  room.  An  L-shaped  lobby  is  provided 
to  give  communication  between  the  living 
room,  two  of  the  bedrooms,  and  the  kitchen. 
The  lower  angle  of  the  lobby  is  cut  off  by 
two  slanting  walls,  and  an  opening  is  con- 
trived into  the  sitting-room.  Against  the 
wall  of-  the  alcove  is  the  fireplace,  which 
backs  against  that  of  the  kitchen. 
Benches  with  wing  guards  complete  the 
ingle-nook. 

Mr  P.  Morley  Horder's  drawing  -  room 
ingle-nook  at  Hengrove,  near  Wendover, 
is  a  fairly  spacious  secondary  chamber, 
occupying  a  kind  of  alcove,  not  quite  the 
full  width  of  the  apartment,  the  inner  corner 
being  taken  up  by  part  of  the  entrance  hall. 
The  whole  room  is  panelled  by  oak,  and  the 
alcove  is  formed  by  two  beams  decorated 
with  narrow  panels,  supporting  a  crossbeam. 
Attached  to  the  side  of  the  uprights  are  two 
low  panelled  screened  walls,  forming  the  ends 
to  two  box  benches,  with  panelling  behind 


THE  INGLE  NOOK  193 

them.  On  the  inner  wall  the  panelling  is 
carried  up  to  a  narrow  shelf  just  below  the 
deep  frieze.  On  the  outer  side  there  is  a 
small  window  above  the  bench.  The  chim- 
ney breast  on  the  back  wall  projects  into  the 
alcove,  and  is  carried  to  the  ceiling.  The 
lower  part  is  of  red  brick,  framed  with  wood, 
and  having  a  narrow  shelf  supported  by  flat 
brackets  above.  The  hearth  is  raised,  and 
the  fire  is  placed  in  a  tall  niche  with  rounded 
metal  hood  in  a  recess  under  a  very  beautiful 
arch,  outlined  on  its  outer  edge  by  a  thin 
double  moulding.  The  recessed  spaces  on 
either  side  of  the  fireplace  are  filled  with 
bookshelves  to  the  level  of  the  seats. 

Another  booky-nook  was  designed  by  Mr 
Klauder  for  his  before-mentioned  cottage  at 
Mount  Airy.  It  is  an  alcove  in  the  living 
room,  formed  by  great  flat  balks  of  timber, 
two  uprights  and  a  crossbeam,  in  keeping 
with  the  rest  of  the  panelling.  The  back 
wall  is  of  red  brick,  the  fire  being  contained 
in  a  recess  under  a  depressed  arch,  with 
narrow  bracket  -  supported  shelf  above. 
Partly  behind  the  upright  balks,  and  partly 
behind  low  panelled  screens,  are  two  roomy 
box  benches,  with  panelled  backs,  and  above 
these    are    bookcases.     There    are   narrow 


194  CHIMNEYPIECES 

windows  on  each  side  of  the  fireplace, 
throwing  light  on  the  rows  of  favourite 
volumes. 

Elsewhere  we  have  mentioned  fireplaces 
placed  in  angles  of  rooms.  Mr  A.  W. 
Brewill  has  combined  this  idea  with  an 
ingle-nook  screen.  This  is  also  a  case  of 
dealing  with  a  billiard-room.  The  hearth  is 
of  stone,  provided  with  fire-dogs.  There 
are  no  jambs,  but  the  hood  is  in  the  form  of 
a  broad  breast,  some  three  feet  from  the 
ground,  with  wedge-shaped  keystones,  an 
ornamented  cornice  with  flat  shelf,  and  a  re- 
cessed breast  to  the  ceiling.  On  the  two  walls 
are  small,  square,  recessed  windows,  with 
lead  glazing  and  small  draw-back  curtains. 
The  ingle-nook  screen  consists  of  two  square 
carved  wood  pillars,  on  plain  panelled  bases, 
supporting  a  carved  beam  with  cornice,  the 
roof  boarded  over.  The  walls  are  of  soft 
yellow-tinted  magnesium  Mansfield  stone, 
the  woodwork  dark  oak. 

Mr  G.  L.  Sutcliffe's  pleasing  notion  of  an 
ingle-nook  for  a  country  cottage  of  some 
pretensions  is  to  build  out  an  alcove  in  red 
brick,  provide  a  fireplace  on  the  plan  of  a 
half  octagon,  built  straight  up  from  floor  to 
ceiling  in  red  brick,  with  square  fire-opening 


THE  INGLE  NOOK  195 

and  copper  grate  fittings,  with  an  arched 
niche  above,  and  two  larger  arched  niches 
on  the  back  wall.  Against  the  side  walls 
he  places  roomy  wooden  settees,  with  re- 
cessed lead-glazed  windows  above  them. 
The  opening  into  the  room  is  framed  by 
varnished  wood  uprights  supporting  a  cross 
beam  and  an  arched  plank. 

There  is  a  great  temptation  to  place 
windows  as  in  the  above  cases,  for  there  is 
an  undeniable  charm  in  being  able  to  sit 
close  to  a  cheerful  fire  and  look  out  of  the 
window  at  the  same  time.  We  have  seen 
this  idea  carried  so  far  that  a  window  has 
been  placed  over  the  fireplace  where  the 
breast  usually  is,  the  flue  being  carried 
round.  To  be  able  to  look  over  the  chimney 
shelf  at  an  ever-changing  picture,  instead  of 
gazing  at  a  never- varying  one,  is  most 
attractive,  especially  when,  as  in  this  parti- 
cular instance,  the  scene  was  a  rough  coast 
with  the  fickle  sea  beyond.  But  the  tempta- 
tion as  a  general  rule  should  be  resisted.  If 
on  the  ground  floor  some  quietly  disposed 
persons  may  object  to  visitors,  fleshly  or 
ghostly,  or  even  the  long,  lissome  fingers 
of  a  trailer-rose,  tapping,  tapping,  gently 
at  the  ingle-nook   casement.      Apart  from 


196  CHIMNEVPIECES 

this,  there  is  always  the  difficulty  of  ex- 
cluding draughts.  An  ingle-nook  is  a  place 
to  be  cosy  in,  not  one  in  which  to  contract  a 
crick  in  the  neck.  Here  picturesqueness 
should  undoubtedly  give  way  to  comfort. 

It  is  not  every  ingle-nook  design  that 
furnishes  sufficient  room  for  side  benches  or 
chairs.  For  instance,  in  the  dining-room 
of  Walstead  House,  Lindfield,  Sussex,  Mr 
E.  Turner  Powell  has  an  open  raised  hearth 
under  a  projecting  canopy,  the  whole  being 
placed  in  a  wide,  deep  recess,  lined  with 
fancy  moulded  tiles,  the  lintel  step-joggled 
with  central  wedge-shaped  keystone.  Very 
cold  mortals  might  sit  on  cushions  under 
protection  of  the  chambranle.  The  same 
notion  is  seen  in  another  design  of  Mr 
Parker  and  Mr  Unwin  for  a  modest  cottage 
at  Letchworth  Garden  City.  The  chimney- 
piece  is  a  massive  structure  of  red  brick, 
built  flush  with  the  plastered  walls.  The 
hearth  is  raised  and  there  is  a  considerable 
recess,  arched  over  by  a  great  beam  of  wood. 
Terminating  the  brick  structure  at  the  level 
of  the  picture  rail,  is  a  narrow  shelf,  with 
plain  bracket  supports.  The  fire  is  further 
recessed  in  the  brick  wall  and  is  covered  by 
a  round  metal  hood,  with  conical  top  and 


THE  INGLE  NOOK  197 

wall  guards.  Cushions  are  placed  on  the 
raised  platform.  Even  more  primitive  is 
the  fireplace  contrived  by  Mr  W.  A.  For- 
syth for  Mr  Norman  Forbes  Robertson's 
week-end  cottage  at  Wittersham,  Kent,  and 
shown  in  the  sketch  overleaf,  perhaps  with 
too  hard  angularity  to  do  justice  to  the 
original.  The  nook  is  delightful,  the  fire- 
back  a  genuine  Sussex  "find." 

Hampstead  Garden  suburb  presents 
several  types  of  the  glorified  cottage  style 
of  ingle-nook.  For  instance,  a  cottage  by 
Mr  Barry  Parker  and  Raymond  Unwin  in 
Temple  Fortune  Lane,  has  a  fireplace, 
placed  on  a  raised  hearth,  in  a  deep,  brick- 
lined  recess,  about  10  ft.  long  by  four  and 
a  half  high,  with  a  wood  beam  lintel,  with 
small  shelf  over.  The  fire  is  in  an  iron 
barred  basket,  placed  under  a  metal  hood 
communicating  with  the  chimney  throat. 
Then  in  Meadway  we  find  a  low,  timber 
ceilinged,  hall-living-room  in  a  charming 
cottage  by  Mr  M.  H.  Baillie  Scott,  with  a 
fireplace  occupying  nearly  half  the  side  of 
the  room.  It  is  rather  under  5  ft.  high, 
and  about  20  ft.  wide.  The  lintel  is 
a  broad  beam,  with  a  narrow  shelf  sup- 
ported by  plain  brackets.     The  actual  fire- 

o 


I9S 


CHIMNEYPIECES 


THE  INGLE  NOOK  199 

place  is  on  a  square  raised  hearthstone,  with 
slightly  recessed  back.  On  both  sides  of 
this  are  two  small  recessed  windows.  A 
peculiarity  of  this  room  is  that  on  the  side 
wall  next  to  the  fireplace  there  is  a  recess, 
the  full  length  and  height  of  the  room,  with 
slightly  raised  floor,  wooden  dado  and 
recessed  window,  used  as  a  dining-room. 
Behind  the  cornice  is  a  rod  with  curtains, 
which  can  be  drawn  together  if  desired. 

At  other  times  the  ingle-nook  is  a  one- 
sided arrangement.  An  example  of  this 
style  is  Mr  G.  L.  Sutcliffe's  design  for  a 
country  house  library  fireplace,  which  is 
built  within  a  long  strip  alcove,  or  rather 
projection  on  the  side  of  the  room.  It  is  of 
red  brick,  the  solid  walls  built  up  on  a  raised 
semi-circular  platform,  and  topped  with 
beaten  copper  hood,  surrounded  by  copper 
plate  wall  guards  and  a  narrow  shelf.  The 
one  seat  is  placed  under  a  small  window 
against  the  end  wall  close  to  the  fireplace, 
and  with  wing  guards  flush  with  the  panelling 
of  the  walls.  In  the  billiard-room  of  an 
American  private  house  we  find  another 
version  of  the  semi-alcove  for  fireplace.  A 
raised  tiled  platform  has  a  low  carved  wood 
balustrade  at  one  end,  at  the  other,  against 


200  CHIMNEYPIECES 

the  two  walls,  hung  with  silk  below  a  deep 
painted  frieze,  is  a  comfortable  divan,  with 
cushions,  half  shielded  by  a  narrow  wall  and 
pillar  rising  to  the  beam  and  hanging  screen 
wall.  The  fireplace  is  of  dressed  stone, 
flush  with  the  wall,  above  which  is  a  carved 
wooden  shelf  and  a  projecting  panelled 
chimney  breast. 

We  have  already  had  occasion  to  mention 
Mr  Winter  Rose's  columned  fireplace  at 
Marrowells,  and  it  is  also  shown  in  one  of 
our  plates.  It  will  be  seen  that  it  forms 
a  peculiar  type  of  ingle-nook,  possessing  a 
simple  dignity  that  recommends  it  to  the 
judicious,  for  a  room  where  some  stateliness 
of  aspect  is  desired.  Though  it  is  not  every- 
body who  will  feel  reconciled  to  the  exposed 
brick,  the  arrangement  certainly  provides 
the  semi-seclusion  that  we  look  for  in  this 
connection. 

A  very  effective  treatment  of  a  large  and 
lofty  hall  in  a  country  house  was  designed 
by  Mr  Charles  Plumet.  Along  one  side,  on 
the  first  floor,  is  a  passage,  and  this  has 
arched  openings  and  a  balustrade,  over- 
looking the  hall.  Right  at  the  end  is  a  com- 
municating gallery,  with  handsome  carved 
wood  rail  and  balustrade,  and  against  the 


THE  INGLE  NOOK  201 

wall  a  large  bookcase.  Under  this  gallery 
is  the  large  fireplace,  the  hearth  flush  with 
the  floor.  It  is  of  red  brick,  has  a  recessed 
fireplace,  with  straight  cheeks  and  arched 
opening.  Over  this  opening,  2  ft.  above  it, 
is  a  long  panel  of  carved  stone.  White 
stone  pillars,  octagonal,  with  ornamental 
capitals  and  tall  carved  bases,  stand  on  each 
side  of  the  hearth,  and  support  the  gallery. 
On  either  side  of  them,  under  the  gallery, 
the  walls  are  lined  with  dwarf  bookcases, 
and  covered  with  framed  pictures  above.  It 
should  be  mentioned  that  the  walls  are 
distempered,  have  a  very  deep  frieze,  con- 
sisting of  a  heavy  fringe  of  foliage  and  fruit, 
with  an  arabesque  filling  above,  reaching 
to  the  flat  timbered  ceiling.  The  floor  is  of 
parquet.  Here  we  have  comfort  and  dignity 
most  happily  blended.  The  great  expanse 
of  plain  walls,  broken  on  one  side  by  tall 
windows,  on  the  other  by  the  arches  and 
balustrade,  contrast  well  with  the  strong 
design  and  colouring  of  the  frieze,  while  the 
pillared  chimneypiece,  with  the  gallery  over- 
head, gives  an  air  of  originality  and  dis- 
tinction. 

This  screened-off"  effect  is  attained  in  a 
different    way    in    another    room    of    the 


202  CHIMNEYPIECES 

Buckingham  Street  flat  already  referred  to. 
In  this  second  room,  which  is  all  white,  a 
narrow  strip  at  the  top  end,  is  cut  off  by 
a  handsome  carved  wood  Moorish  screen, 
above  which  is  deep  frieze  of  enriched 
plaster.  The  chimneypiece,  a  simple  wooden 
framing  to  a  glazed  tile  fireplace,  and 
crowned  by  a  carved  wood  Moorish  over- 
mantel, is  in  the  middle  of  the  wall,  facing 
the  arched  opening.  About  this  chairs  and 
small  tables  are  disposed. 

One  more  point  requires  to  be  mentioned. 
In  many  halls  with  staircases,  the  chimney- 
piece  is  placed  against  the  wall  in  such  a 
way  as  to  be  partially  screened  by  the 
sweep  of  the  stairs,  and  then  the  primary 
requirements  for  an  ingle-nook  are  ready  to 
hand.  It  is  merely  necessary  to  place  bench, 
hooded  or  with  tall  panelled  back,  within  the 
sweep,  and  another  screened  bench,  or 
merely  a  sofa,  on  the  opposite  side,  and 
there  is  a  delightful  retreat,  placed  practi- 
cally immediately  within  the  portals,  as  in 
days  of  old. 

In  an  American  example,  a  house  at 
Dedham,  Massachusetts,  built  of  local 
fireproof  brick  and  limestone,  the  library 
is  a  delightfully  designed  room,  both  as  to 


THE  INGLE  NOOK  203 

planning  and  colouring.  The  ceiling,  wall 
panelling  and  shelving  for  books  are  of 
weathered  English  oak ;  the  floor  is  paved 
with  unglazed  tiles  of  a  dull  blue  hue,  which 
makes  a  splendid  soft  background  for  brown 
and  red  rugs.  Unglazed  tiles  have  a  decided 
advantage  over  the  glazed,  if  they  be  of 
sufficiently  hard  and  homogeneous  material, 
because  they  both  look  and  feel  warmer, 
and  are  less  hard  to  tread  and  deaden  the 
footfall.  This  colour  scheme  is  completed 
by  an  uncovering,  as  it  were,  of  the  solid 
building  material,  for  the  fireplace  is  of 
carved  white  limestone,  broad  and  tall.  A 
great  canopy  hood  projects  well  into  the 
room,  sheltering  two  roomy  seats  with 
windows  over  them. 

An  Austrian  hunting  -  box  designed  by 
Herr  Ludwig  Hohlwein  also  gives  a  good 
combination  out  of  very  simple  materials. 
The  living-room  is  lined  with  plain  polished 
oak  fittings.  The  walls  and  ceiling  are 
framed  in  sawn  timber  filled  in  with  plaster 
panels.  The  chimneypiece  is  of  carved  oak, 
the  hearth  raised,  and  the  fireplace  of  red 
glazed  bricks,  provided  with  iron  fire-basket 
and  heavy  uprights  with  great  copper  cup- 
like  terminals.     A    platform   a   few   inches 


204  CHIMNEYPIECES 

above  the  floor  is  provided  for  the  Ingle- 
nook,  which  is  formed  by  merely  building 
up  two  wooden  settees,  with  tall,  almost 
straight  backs,  very  slight  cut-away  wings, 
and  plain  shelf  seat.  The  interior  is  com- 
fortably upholstered.  On  each  side  of  the 
fireplace  is  a  deep  recess,  with  a  window 
in  the  upper  part,  the  lower  part  forming 
useful  shelves.  This  is  undoubtedly  a  cosy 
corner,  yet  one  which  does  not  interfere 
with  the  warming  of  the  rest  of  the  room. 

Of  course  in  designing  an  ingle-nook, 
comfort  must  be  a  guiding  consideration. 
Much  can  be  done  by  means  of  judicious 
fittings.  Certainly  the  shelf  within  easy 
reach  is  most  necessary.  It  is  desirable, 
when  this  is  done,  that  it  should  be  recessed, 
and  preferably  placed  against  the  side  wall. 
Bookshelves,  if  placed  on  the  side  or  back, 
should  also  be  recessed.  If  this  cannot  be 
done,  then  they  must  be  narrow,  and  the 
space  beneath  them  panelled  to  form  the 
back  or  side  of  seat.  Any  projection  which 
may  be  bumped  against  is  to  be  avoided. 
On  the  outer  side  of  the  seat  it  is  well  to 
provide  an  arm  rest,  while  for  elderly  people 
an  arm  rest  in  the  form  of  a  sling  is  a 
convenience.      On   the   distaff  side  of  the 


Original  Model  of  Chimneypiece.  by  Stevens. 


THE  INGLE  NOOK  205 

hearth,  beneath  the  arm  rest,  there  ought 
to  be  a  wide  and  deep  pocket,  a  useful 
receptacle  for  needlework.  Where  the  corner 
is  roomy  enough,  it  is  a  good  plan  to 
provide  a  collapsible  desk,  closing  up  into 
the  panel  and  opening  out  at  such  angles 
as  to  provide  a  reading  or  writing  desk, 
and  if  need  be,  a  table  for  an  invalid 
luncheon.  Something  quite  simple  will 
often  serve  the  purpose :  a  hinged  board, 
kept  upright  when  not  in  use  by  a  catch, 
supported  when  in  use  by  one  or  two  hinged 
brackets,  folding  back  against  the  side.  No 
ingle-nook  in  a  dining-room,  billiard-room, 
hall,  or  cottage  living  -  room,  should  be 
without  a  hob  or  at  all  events  a  trivet,  and 
when  possible  a  little  hot  closet  is  not  amiss. 
With  the  ingle-nook  in  the  living-room 
of  a  week-end  cottage,  or  humble  country 
pied-d-terre^  the  great  question  is  how  to 
fill  the  fireplace  itself.  From  the  senti- 
mental and  picturesque  point  of  view  the 
open  hearth  is  the  ideal.  When  the  hearth 
is  slightly  raised  and  the  hood  efficient,  all 
may  go  well  perhaps  for  ninety-five  days 
out  of  a  hundred.  But  for  the  balance  things 
are  often  very  uncomfortable.  The  diffi- 
culty is  that  with  the  small  cottage,  whether 


2o6  CHIMNEYPIECES 

all  ground  floor  or  possessing  an  upper 
storey,  the  chimney  is  not  very  tall,  and 
therefore  does  not  draw  powerfully  under 
any  circumstances,  and  does  so  very  badly 
under  certain  conditions  of  wind,  especially 
if  a  wood  or  a  few  big  trees  are  close  at  hand. 
Snow  and  rain  may  also  prove  a  source  of 
annoyance.  It  is  not  every  architect  who 
dares  to  design  a  small  cottage  on  the  lines 
of  that  handsome  Renaissance  lodge  by 
the  late  Mr  W.  Aden  Nesfield  at  Kew 
Gardens,  with  a  high  pitched  roof,  equal 
in  height  to  that  of  the  walls,  and  a  bold 
chimney  shaft  towering  some  one  and  a 
half  times  that  height  above  the  summit. 
Such  a  chimney  would  be  out  of  the  question 
in  connection  with  most  remodelling  work, 
and  usually  so  with  the  building  of  cheap 
bungalows  or  cottages.  The  result  is  that 
the  hearth  is  too  near  the  chimney  top,  and 
is  therefore  rather  more  under  the  direct 
influence  of  wind  and  rain  than  it  should  be. 
Bearing  this  in  mind,  it  seems  better  to 
compromise  the  matter,  and  fit  the  open 
hearth  with  a  closed-in  grate,  or  with  one 
or  other  of  those  useful  and  not  unsightly 
combination  grates  and  kitcheners  which 
are  on  the  market.     Patterns  can  be  chosen 


THE  INGLE  NOOK  207 

which  harmonise  with  their  surroundings 
while  giving  security  against  floodings  and 
the  back-rush  of  smoke.  Circumstances 
must  determine  the  choice.  Where  expense 
is  not  a  primary  consideration,  the  modern 
plan  of  treating  the  fireplace  as  a  self- 
contained  feature — with  its  own  jambs,  lintel 
and  hood,  and  even  raised  hearth,  as  we 
see  in  many  of  the  examples  already  de- 
scribed— placed  within  the  ingle-nook  alcove, 
overcomes  much  of  the  difficulty  under 
discussion,  but  it  is  not  an  economical 
method  of  designing. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

NOTES   ON    FIREPLACE   FURNITURE. 

In  this  chapter  it  is  proposed  only  to  touch 
upon  such  items  of  furniture  as  directly  influ- 
enced, or  were  influenced  by,  the  construc- 
tional parts  of  the  fireplace. 

At  first  they  were  exceedingly  simple,  as 
were  the  hearths  themselves.  The  early 
form  of  the  andirons  or  fire-dogs  for  holding 
burning  logs  and  faggots,  were  in  the  form 
of  two  uprights  with  spreading  feet,  and 
joined  together  by  a  crossbar.  The  wood 
was  placed  at  a  slanting  angle  against  the 
horizontal  bar,  in  that  position  usually  adopted 
when  quick  ignition  and  a  fierce  flame  is 
desired,  and  even  now  commonly  adopted  in 
the  East.  This  method  of  building  the  wood 
fire  was  almost  necessary  when  the  open 
fireplace  prevailed,  but  so  soon  as  the  recess 
in  the  wall  was  adopted,  wing  walls  and  hood 
208 


FIREPLACE   FURNITURE  209 

conducting  to  smoke  exits  quickly  being 
added,  it  was  easier  to  control  the  fire,  and 
to  burn  logs  both  little  and  large.  Then  the 
horizontal  position  was  preferred,  and  so  two 
dogs  were  used.  These  were  often  plain 
structures  of  wrought  iron  bars  and  bands, 
but  with  the  increased  architectural  import- 
ance given  to  the  chimneypiece  great  pains 
were  bestowed  on  these  articles  of  furniture, 
and  from  the  12th  to  the  15th  century  they 
increased  in  size,  intricacy,  and  beauty.  From 
simple  uprights,  with  hammered  scroll  embel- 
lishments, round  bosses  and  shields  were 
added,  generally  bearing  sacred  emblems  or 
monograms.  Then  the  founders  took  the 
matter  up,  and  the  uprights  were  cast  in  the 
shape  of  animals  and  human  figures,  either 
termini  or  complete  statuettes.  Many  of 
them  are  very  beautiful,  and  most  possess 
value  for  details  of  costume  and  equipment. 
In  England  a  great  branch  of  the  Sussex 
iron  industry  consisted  in  turning  out  fire- 
backs  and  dogs.  The  early  patterns  bore 
sacred  emblems,  then  figures,  and  finally 
armorial  shields  and  badges.  Our  illustra- 
tion is  of  a  Sussex  andiron  from  Wadhurst, 
with  Renaissance  decorations  and  armorial 
shield.     It  stands  3  feet  3  inches  high.     A 


21Q 


CHIMNEYPIECES 


OLD  SUSSEX  ANDIRON. 


FIREPLACE   FURNITURE  211 

pair,  dated  1591,  evidently  coming  from 
the  Ashburnham  estate  foundry,  were  deco- 
rated with  the  Ashburnham  arms,  and  also 
a  badge  in  the  form  of  an  ash  tree  growing 
out  of  a  floreated  coronet.  In  contrast  to 
these  we  see  a  very  primitive  type  shown 
in  our  sketch  of  Mr  Norman  Forbes  Robert- 
son's ingle-nook  (page  198).  More  elaborate 
specimens  will  be  seen  in  our  illustration  of 
an  Italian  stone  chimneypiece,  and  those 
of  Loseley,  Holland  House,  and  the  Gover- 
nor's Room,  Charterhouse.  In  the  two 
fireplaces  of  the  Great  Room  at  Holland 
House  the  furniture  consists  of  two  andirons, 
in  forms  of  Corinthian  gilt  columns,  standing 
on  ornamental  bases,  with  fine  capitals  sup- 
porting respectively  the  cross  crosslets  of  the 
Copes  and  \}ci^fleur  de  lis  of  the  Riches.  The 
andirons  are  dainty  little  amoretti,  carrying 
wands,  and  standing  on  substantial  highly 
ornamented  bases.  These  beautiful  figures 
on  their  elaborated  designed  bases  are  of 
Continental  origin.  Iron  was  far  from  being 
the  only  metal  used.  Copper,  brass,  and 
even  silver,  were  employed  for  this  purpose. 
Andirons  practically  went  out  of  fashion  in 
England  when  coal  took  the  place  of  wood, 
but  they  long  continued  in  service  on  the 


212 


CHIMNEYPIECES 


FIREPLACE  FURNITURE 


213 


Continent,  where  they  are  still  the  necessary 
complements  of  fireplaces  over  more  than 
half  of  Europe. 

In  early  practice  the  fireplace  was  simply 
lined  with  stone  or  brick,  but  no  doubt  partly 
owing  to  the  finer  work  bestowed  on  these, 
and  the  fiercer  fires  resulting  from  better 
construction,  it  was  soon  found  expedient  to 
strengthen  the  back  with  iron  plates.  The 
opportunity  for  decoration  which  these  pre- 
sented was  not  lost.  Great  pains  were  de- 
voted to  their  manufacture,  both  on  the 
Continent  and  here.  We  give  two  line 
drawings  of  different  types — one  from  Sutton 


SUSSEX  FIRE-BACK,  SUTTON  HURST. 


214  CHIMNEYPIECES 

Hurst  of  1582  and  the  other  of  earlier  date. 
The  subjects  chosen  for  decorative  treatment 
were,  of  course,  extremely  varied,  ranging 
from  mere  lines  and  dots  to  elaborate  scenes 
from  the  Scriptures  and  the  fabulists.  Occa- 
sionally historical  scenes  are  introduced. 
In  the  1 6th  and  17th  centuries  heraldic 
ornamentation  became  the  fashion.  In  Eng- 
land the  Royal  arms  were  frequently  adopted 
as  the  central  motif,  but  more  generally  the 
arms  of  the  owner  were  cast  on  the  plates. 
Some  of  the  more  elaborate  patterns  may  be 
seen  on  the  plates  giving  pictures  of  fire- 
places at  Combe  Abbey,  Bruges,  and  that 
of  Clodion  and  Gouthiere  from  Paris.  This 
last  named  is  particularly  interesting,  because 
the  entire  back  and  sides  are  covered  with 
highly  ornamented  plates  of  iron,  with  con- 
cave pieces  filling  up  the  angles — a  very  rare 
treatment.  In  some  Flemish  examples  we 
find  the  combined  use  of  decorated  cast-iron 
backs  with  ornamental  glazed  tiles.  It  is 
probable  that  we  owe  this  method  of  surface 
treatment  to  the  Hispano-Mauresque  school 
of  builders.  It  corresponds  to  their  general 
scheme  of  decoration,  and  we  know  that  a 
very  considerable  trade  existed  between 
Spain  and   the  other  parts   of  Europe   in 


FIREPLACE   FURNITURE  215 

decorated  Moorish  tiles.  These  were  usually 
squares,  impressed  with  successive  incised 
patterns,  each  design  being  filled  with  the 
desired  colours.  But  the  more  splendid 
azuleijos  were  differently  formed,  embossed 
patterns  being  stamped  upon  them,  and  the 
whole  covered  by  an  opaque  white  glaze  with 
a  stannate  base.  Then  the  lines  between 
the  raised  parts  were  partly  filled  with 
coloured  glazes,  and  the  tiles  fired.  Many  of 
these  reached  Flanders  during  the  period  of 
Spanish  domination,  and  caused  the  establish- 
ment of  a  local  industry.  Dutch  tiles,  with 
local  or  Renaissance  decorations  of  a  some- 
what crude  design,  both  flat  and  embossed, 
early  had  a  great  vogue.  They  were  intro- 
duced here  about  the  year  1625.  As  we 
have  seen,  Owen  Jones  and  Digby  Wyatt 
endeavoured  to  popularise  the  Spanish- 
Saracenic  decorated  tiles,  though  produced 
on  very  different  principles,  for  fireplace 
embellishments,  but  it  was  not  until  a  much 
later  day  that  the  excellent  English-made 
fire-resisting  tiles — plain,  self-coloured,  with 
underglaze  painting,  or  embossed — succeeded 
in  making  their  merits  generally  recognised. 
The  modern  chimneypiece  designer  is  quite 
as  enamoured  of  glazed  tiles  (clean,  cheerful. 


2i6  CHIMNEYPIECES 

light  and  heat  reflecting  materials),  as  were 
the  Flemings  from  the  latter  end  of  the  1 6th 
to  the  1 8th  centuries. 

A  point  of  some  interest  brought  out  in 
our  picture  of  the  great  Bruges  chimneypiece 
is  the  presence  of  decorated  iron  handles 
pendant  from  the  lintel  over  the  hearth 
opening.  These  were  used  to  hold  on  by 
when  people  were  warming  themselves  before 
the  blazing  fire,  to  prevent  accidental  toppling 
into  the  fire.  They  suggest  a  peculiar  social 
habit,  and  are  not  found  out  of  Flanders. 

With  us  coal  not  only  banished  the  cast 
iron  fire-back  in  its  original  form,  and  pract- 
ically the  andiron,  but  also  introduced  the 
grate.  Early  patterns  took  the  form  of  iron 
bar  baskets,  usually  standing  on  short  legs. 
An  ornamental  form,  combining  certain  feat- 
ures of  the  andiron  and  the  fire-back,  is  seen 
in  our  picture  of  the  Charterhouse  fireplace. 
Modern  renderings  are  shown  on  other  plates. 

These  baskets  were  in  the  late  i8th 
century  and  the  early  part  of  last  century 
suspended  between  two  low  walls  filling  up 
the  sides  of  the  fireplace  for  some  i8  in. 
or  2  ft.,  the  idea  being  to  throw  the  heat 
into  the  room.  Robert  Adam,  pursuing  his 
system    of   attending    to    every    detail    in 


FIREPLACE   FURNITURE  217 

order  to  obtain  consistency  in  decoration, 
designed  the  grates  for  his  fireplaces.  An 
example  of  his  work  is  shown  on  one  of  our 
plates ;  it  must  be  acknowledged  as  far 
superior  to  the  ordinary  grate  filling.  Apart 
from  the  question  of  beauty,  there  were  those 
of  economy  and  efficiency.  Count  Rumford 
invented  an  economic  coal  burning  grate 
which  long  influenced  their  construction. 
It  was  recognised  that  iron  was  not  the  best 
material,  but  that  firebrick  should  be  sub- 
stituted. After  Rumford  probably  the  re- 
former who  has  had  the  most  lasting  effect 
was  Dr  Pridgin  Teale. 

Dr  Teale's  principles  for  the  construction 
of  a  fireplace  are  as  follows  : — 

(a)  As  much  firebrick  and  as  little  iron  as 
possible  should  be  used ;  (b)  the  back  and 
sides  should  be  of  firebrick  ;  (c)  the  back  of 
the  fireplace  should  lean  over  the  fire,  while 
the  throat  of  the  chimney  should  be  con- 
tracted; (d)  the  bottom  of  the  fireplace 
should  be  deep ;  (e)  all  slits  in  the  bottom 
of  the  grate  should  be  as  narrow  as  possible ; 

(f)  the    bars    in   front    should    be    narrow ; 

(g)  the  space  between  the  floor  and  the 
bottom  of  the  fireplace  should  be  closed  in 
front  by  a   close-fitting   iron   shield,  called 


2i8  CHIMNEYPIECES 

an  economiser.  This  theory  is  funda- 
mentally sound,  and  has  entered  into  much 
of  present  day  practice,  though  many  other 
inventors  have  come  forward  with  slow  com- 
bustion regulating  grates,  well  fire,  heaped 
fire,  and  so  on.  The  influence  that  these 
have  had  on  fireplace  designing  is  shown 
in  several  of  our  illustrations. 

To  begin  with,  it  has  been  found  possible  to 
blend  the  picturesque  with  the  scientific,  and 
to  provide  open  coal  fires.  These  are  usually 
of  fire-clay  construction,  with  circular  backs, 
and  concave  bases.  Such  well-like  fire  grates 
do  not  require  bars,  while  they  will  burn  peat 
and  wood  blocks  as  well  as  they  will  coal. 

With  a  view  to  preserve  the  open  hearth 
idea  and  yet  provide  a  definite  grate,  the  old- 
fashioned  iron  basket  has  been  re-introduced, 
generally  being  placed  on  feet,  close  to,  though 
independent  of  the  fire-brick  back  and 
cheeks.  A  frequent  embellishment  of  these 
fire  baskets  is  to  make  the  front  feet  stand 
out  sideways,  terminating  in  tall  uprights 
simulating  the  form  of  old  andirons.  These 
may  be  of  brass,  or  of  hammered  iron  and 
copper,  and  when  they  are  used  in  a  fireplace 
with  fire-brick  back  and  tiles,  or  of  exposed 
brickwork,  the  effect  is  very  good. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

THE    STOVE. 

Differing  widely  as  they  do  in  outward 
appearance,  the  box-like  stove  and  the 
elaborate  chimneypiece  are  developments 
stimulated  by  the  desire  to  improve  upon 
the  economical  inefficiency  of  the  unpro- 
tected hearthstone.  While  in  countries 
where  wood  was  plentiful  and  available  this 
development  proceeded  along  the  lines  of 
the  open  box  (back,  side  walls,  and  hood), 
in  those  where  fuel  was  scarce  and  bad 
progress  manifested  itself  by  producing  the 
enclosing  box,  which  in  its  primitive  form  is 
a  hole  in  the  earth  and  a  dome. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  the  Saxon 
fireplace  was  of  this  sort,  though  the  cover 
was  employed  as  semi-extinguisher.  But  it 
is  the  type  of  village  "  oven  "  of  which  we 
read  in  the  Scriptures,  that  persists  in  Persia 
219 


220  CHIMNEYPIECES 

and  some  parts  of  Central  Asia  to  this  day. 
The  Persian  method  was,  and  is,  to  di^  a 
hole  in  the  centre  of  the  floor  of  the  living 
room,  line  it  with  clay  and  build  therein  a 
fire  of  wood,  charcoal,  or  other  fuel.  The 
clay  soon  becomes  fire-brick  and  stores  up 
heat  admirably.  For  baking  purposes  the 
ashes  are  raked  out  and  the  loaves  placed  in 
the  hole,  which  is  then  covered  up.  For 
heating  purposes  the  fire  is  packed  tight, 
and,  a  vent  being  provided,  covered  over 
with  a  flat  stone.  But  that  is  not  all.  A 
square  framework  of  wood  is  placed  over  the 
covered  hole,  and  heavy  rug  over  that,  so 
that  there  results  a  kind  of  tent,  under  which 
the  members  of  the  party,  seated  on  the 
floor,  may  thrust  their  feet,  their  hands  or 
their  whole  persons,  and  so  get  warm  at  a 
very  little  expenditure  of  precious  fuel. 
That  is  the  type.  Of  course  it  is  improved 
upon  in  houses  of  the  well-to-do.  For 
instance,  one  addition  of  the  luxuriously 
inclined  was  a  pipe  communicating  with  the 
sunken  stove.  It  was  only  necessary  to 
remove  the  stopper  and  blow  down  the  tube 
to  fan  the  fire  into  a  glowing  mass,  at  some 
risk,  one  would  imagine,  of  inhaling  suffo- 
cating gases.     We  have  here  all  the  elements 


Gepman  Faience  Stove. 


THE  STOVE  221 

of  the  more  permanent  structural  stove, 
which  was  carried  into  Eastern  Europe  by 
the  Slavs,  and  into  Southern  and  Northern 
Russia  by  the  Tartars. 

In  its  really  national  character  the  Russian 
stove  is  at  once  a  cooking  and  a  warming 
apparatus.  It  is  built  of  brick  or  stone, 
often  plastered  over  and  decorated  in 
the  peculiar  polychromatic  arrangement  of 
dots,  lines,  and  zigzags  common  to  the 
peasants  of  Little  Russia,  or  with  glazed 
tiles.  The  oven-stove  is  a  big  erection, 
often  occupying  a  sixth  or  a  tenth  part  of 
the  room  whether  placed  in  the  middle 
thereof  or  against  the  wall.  In  the  older 
form  it  had  no  chimney ;  in  the  improved 
the  chimney  is  carried  to  the  roof.  The  top 
is  flat,  and  reaches  often  quite  halfway  up  to 
the  roof.  In  the  old  type  of  farmhouse 
the  sleeping  quarters  for  the  men  were  on 
a  platform  of  planks,  or  kind  of  abortive  first 
floor,  carried  up  close  under  the  roof,  and 
covering  a  third  or  a  fourth  of  the  room.  It 
had  no  partitions,  the  unprotected  open  edge 
being  close  up  to  the  stove.  But  the  top 
of  the  stove  itself  serves  at  once  as  a  drying 
apparatus  and  winter  quarters.  Elaborate 
versions  of  such  stoves  were  not  uncommon 


222  CHIMNEYPIECES 

in  the  houses  of  the  old  nobility.  Kiprianoff 
describes  a  remarkable  one  in  the  house 
of  the  Romanoffs,  a  boyard  construction 
of  the  loth  century  near  Moscow.  It  was 
very  large  and  covered  with  blue  glazed 
tiles,  each  embossed  with  a  different  em- 
blematic design  and  motto.  Thus,  one 
tile  was  ornamented  with  two  birds  flying 
away  from  each  other,  and  the  inscription, 
"  Fidelity  Unites  Us."  Another  a  tortoise 
and  the  legend,  "  There  is  no  home  like 
one's  own." 

There  is  really  very  little  difference  be- 
tween this  ardent  moralising  stove  of  the 
pre  -  Imperial  Romanoffs  and  the  great 
mediaeval  erections  of  Germany,  or  the 
Netherlands.  These  are  often  monumental, 
gay  with  colour  and  beautifully  wrought 
metal.  They  were  in  use  early  in  the 
Middle  Ages.  One  of  magnificent  pro- 
portions discovered  in  the  Hohen  Schloss 
at  Fussen  bears  the  inscription  :  "  Diser : 
ofen  :  wol :  gestald  :  wurd  :  gemacht :  da  : 
man:  zalt :  1514  :  Jar:  Bey  Hansen: 
Seltzaman  :  vogt :  zu :  Obendorft."  It 
stands  some  12  feet  high  and  is  built  of 
ornamental  hollow  tiles,  forming  a  hex- 
agonal  tower   formed   of  hollow   tiles,   the 


THE   STOVE  223 

concave  side  outwards  covered  with  green 
glaze  relieved  by  yellow  decoration.  Three 
stoves  of  this  type  are  at  South  Kensington, 
one  of  which,  of  a  very  curious  pattern,  we 
illustrate. 

At  our  International  Exibition  of  1862 
several  examples  were  sent  over  from  Berlin. 
They  were  rectangular  erections  formed  of 
white  glazed  tiles  6  and  8  inches  square  on 
their  outer  surface,  often  beautifully  em- 
bossed, and  having  a  rim  all  round  the  inner 
surface,  so  that  building  up  and  interlocking 
was  easy,  the  rims  being  pierced  and  the 
whole  kept  together  by  wires.  The  base 
was  of  brickwork,  about  a  foot  high,  encased 
in  tiles,  and  provided  with  space  for  ashpit, 
the  fire-box  of  bricks  being  above  thisi 
while  the  interior  of  the  stove  contained 
baffle  plates.  The  angles  and  other  pro- 
minent parts  were  decorated  with  modelled 
glazed  earthenware  figures  and  other  orna- 
ments. 

It  must  be  remembered  that  sometime 
after  this,  the  Germans  nearly  succeeded 
in  flooding  Europe  with  small  and  medium 
sized  rectangular  and  circular  stoves  of 
white  glazed  metal  with  fire-brick  interiors, 
many  of  which  even  came  to  England. 


224  CHIMNEYPIECES 

Some  attempt  was  made  to  acclimatise 
the  manufacture  over  here.  Alfred  Stevens 
designed  a  hot  air  stove  of  iron  and  steel, 
made  at  Sheffield,  and  sent  to  the  1862 
Exhibition.  It  was  enamelled  white,  covered 
with  raised  sculpture,  deeply  undercut  and 
heavy  panels  in  pink,  the  cable  borders  and 
wreaths  being  gilded.  Pugin  also  contri- 
buted to  the  Exhibition.  His  stove  was  a 
huge  affair  in  mediaeval  styles,  made  at 
Birmingham,  and  carried  out  in  hammered 
iron  and  Minton  encaustic  enamelled  tiles. 
The  tiles  in  pale  tints  of  pink,  green,  blue 
and  yellow  and  white,  were  fitted  into  a 
metal  framework,  had  a  slightly  slanting 
hood  with  a  square  top  erection.  It  was 
highly  decorative,  enclosed  in  an  outer  grill 
of  iron.  Armorial  shields,  enamelled  in 
their  proper  colours,  were  in  the  slender 
corner  turreted  pillars,  on  banners  and  on 
the  side  grilles.  A  good  specimen  of  this 
kind  is  to  be  seen  in  the  Painted  Hall  at 
Greenwich  Hospital. 

C.  J.  Richardson  designed  a  horribly  banal 
stove,  in  the  form  of  a  suit  of  plate  armour, 
which  he  considered  suitable  for  the  hall  of  a 
mansion.  It  was  stoked  from  behind,  had  a 
funnel  and  emitted  heat  through  the  vizor. 


THE  STOVE  225 

It  is  not  within  the  scope  of  this  little 
book  to  deal  with  the  relatively  large  manu- 
facture of  closed  stoves  for  coal  and  coke, 
often  of  excellent  design  and  tasteful  decora- 
tion, which  find  a  legitimate  outlet  in  offices, 
shops  and  so  on,  but  which  scarcely  come 
within  the  purview  of  the  builder  or  lover 
of  the  House  Beautiful. 


BIBLIOGRAPHY 

Berty,  Adolphe.  "La  Renaissance  Monu- 
mentale  en  France.  Specimens  de  composi- 
tion et  d'ornamentation  architectonique 
depuis  le  r^gne  de  Charles  VIII.,  jusqu'  k  celui 
de  Louis  XIV.,"  2  vols.  il.  Paris,  1864. 

Brettingham,  M.  "The  Plans,  Elevations  and 
Sections  of  Holkham  in  Norfolk  ....  to 
which  are  added  the  Ceilings  and  Chimney- 
pieces,"  il.  London,  1773. 

DIETTERLEIN,  Wendel.  "  Le  Livre  de  I'Archi- 
tecture.  Recueil  de  planches  donant  la 
division,  symetrie  et  proportions  des  cinq 
ordres,  appliques  k  tous  les  travaux  d'art  qui 
en  dependent,  tels  que  fen^tres,  chemin^es, 
chambranles,  portes,  fontaines,  et  tombeaux," 
2  vols.  Li^ge,  1862. 

FUMAGALLi,  Carlo,  Diego  Sant  Ambrojio, 
Luca  Beltranni.  "  Reminiscenze  di  Storia  ed 
Arte  Nel  Suburbio  e  nella  Citta  di  Milano," 
il.  Milan,  1891. 


227 


228  BIBLIOGRAPHY 

Garner  J.,  and  Stratton,  A.  "  The  Domestic 
Architecture  of  England  during  the  Tudor 
Period,"  London,  1909.  Three  portfolios  con- 
taining plates  and  explanatory  text. 

Georgian  Society.  "Records  of  Eighteenth 
Century  Domestic  Architecture  and  Decor- 
ation in  Dublin."  2  vols.  Dublin  1909-1910. 
Contains  numerous  plates  of  chimneypieces, 
including  specimens  of  "  Bossi  "  coloured  inlay 
marble  work  with  descriptions. 

Hoskins,  G.  G.  "Designs  for  Chimneypieces," 
London,  1871.     A  collection  of  56  plates. 

Jones,  Inigo.  "  Designs  for  Chimney  Glasses  and 
Chimneypieces  of  the  Time  of  Charles  I." 
London,  1858.       A  collection  of  10  plates. 

KiPRlANOFF,  Val.  "Histoire  Pittoresque  de 
r Architecture  en  Russie,"  il.  1864. 

Le  Clerc,  Sebastien.  "  Traits  d'Architecture," 
2  vols.,  Paris,  1 7 14. 

"  L'Art  Flamand  et  Hollandais."  Antwerp, 
Vol.  IV.  1905  articles,  illustrated,  on  'L'Ancien 
Foyer  Dans  les  Flandres.' 

Le  Pautre,  Jean.  ( i ) "  Chemin^es  k  I'ltalienne," 
Paris,  1665 ;  (2)  "  Nouveaux  dessins  de 
Chemindes."  Paris,  1665;  (3)  "Chemin^es  k 
la  Romaine,"  Paris,  1670.  Three  separate 
collections  of  six  plates  each,  without  letter- 
press. 

Le  Pautre,  Pierre.  "  Chemin^es  et  Lambris  k 
la  Mode."  Paris,  1685.  Six  plates,  without 
letterpress. 


BIBLIOGRAPHY  229 

Percier,  C,  and  Fontaine,  P.  F.  L.  "  Recueil 
de  Decorations  Interieurs,"  Paris,  18 12.  Con- 
taining several  fine  drawings  of  chimney- 
pieces,  chiefly  in  the  Empire  style. 

PIRANESI,  G.  B.  "  Diverse  Maniere  d'Adornare  i 
Cammini,"  il.  Rome,  1769.  Text  in  Italian, 
English,  and  French. 

Putnam,  J.P.  "The  Fireplace  in  all  Ages," 
300  il.  Boston  1882. 

QUELLERN,  L.  DE.  "  Le  Chateau  de  Bagatelle. 
Etude  Historique  et  descriptive,  suivie  d'une 
notice  sur  La  Roserie."  Paris,  1889.  Con- 
tains excellent  photogravures  of  fine  chimney- 
pieces. 

"  Revue  de  l' Art  Chretien."  Lille,  Vol.  2, 5th 
series,  1906.  Article  '  La  Cheminee  Gothique 
en  Belgique,'  il. 

Richardson,  George,  "A  New  Collection  of 
Chimneypieces  ornamented  in  the  style 
of  the  Etruscan,  Greek,  and  Roman  Archi- 
tecture. Containing  35  designs  suitable  to  the 
most  elegant  range  of  apartments,"  London, 
1 78 1.  Plates  given  in  duplicate,  plain  and 
coloured.     Brief  historical  introduction. 

Ripley,  Thomas.  "The  Plans,  Elevations,  and 
Sections,  Chimneypieces  and  Ceilings  of 
Houghton,  in  Norfolk,  with  drawings  by 
Isaac  Ware  and  William  Kent,"  London, 
1760. 

Shaw,  H.  "  Details  of  Elizabethan  Architecture," 
il.  Condon,  1839. 

Q 


230  BIBLIOGRAPHY 

Modern  Building  Record,  The.  Vol.  II.,  il. 
London,  1911.  A  brief  description,  with 
plans  and  illustrations,  of  some  of  the  chief 
additions  during  the  year  to  (i)  Public 
Buildings,  (2)  Domestic  Architecture. 

Turner,  T.  H.  "  Some  Account  of  Domestic 
Architecture  in  England  from  the  Conquest 
to  the  end  of  the  1 3th  c,"  4  vols.,  il.  London. 

Ware,  Isaac.  "A  Complete  Body  of  Archi- 
tecture," il.  London,  1756.  Designs  of  Inigo 
Jones  and  others,  London,  1757.  A  collec- 
tion of  50  plates,  chiefly  chimneypieces. 
The  Plans,  Elevations,  and  Sectfbns, 
Chimneypieces  and  Ceilings  of  Houghton, 
London,  1760.  Large  folio  with  drawings 
by  Ware  and  W.  Kent. 

Ware,  W.  R.,  "  Renaissance  Fireplaces,"  Boston, 
1892.  A  collection  of  40  photogravures  of 
chimneypieces  in  England,  Italy,  Ireland, 
Germany,  France,  and  Belgium. 

Weale,  J.  "  English  and  French  Ornaments," 
London,  1858-9."  This  is  a  reissue  of 
the  designs  contained  in  (i)  "Chippendale's 
Ornaments  and  Interior  Decorations  in  the 
French  Style";  (2)  "A  Book  of  Ornaments 
Suitable  for  Beginners,"  by  Thomas  Pether, 
Carver ;  (3)  "  A  Book  of  Ornaments  Drawn 
and  Engraved  by  M.  Lock  " ;  (4)  "  Chippen- 
dale's One  Hundred  and  Thirty  Designs  of 
Interior  Decorations  in  the  Old  French  and 
Antique  Styles."    Contains  249  il. 


BIBLIOGRAPHY  231 

WiLLOUGHBY,  LEONARD.  "  Some  Notable  Fire- 
places" in  *  The  Connoisseur '  for  March,  191 1. 
(Slight  text,  but  18  excellent  photo-repro- 
ductions of  English  chimneypieces,  old  and 
modern.) 

YSENDYCK.  "  Documents  Classes  de  I'Art  dans  les 
Pays  Bas,"  i  vol.  il.    1880-7. 

Consult  also  John  Britton,  Sir  William  Chambers, 
William  Kent,  Charles  James  Richardson, 
Sebastian  Serlio.  For  particulars  see  Biblio- 
graphy in  "  Ceilings  and  their  Decorations," 
in  The  House  Decoration  Series. 


INDEX. 


/" 


Abingdon  Abbey,  early 
Gothic  chimneypieces 
at,  29 

Adam,  Robert,  designs  at 
the  Soane  Museum, 
135  ;  designs  for  fire- 
grates, 217 

Alenjon,  Henry  IV.  hunt- 
ing box  at,  48,  114; 
chimneypiece  in  the 
Tribunal  de  Commerce, 

55 

Ambler,  Mr  Louis,  153 

American  Practice,  170, 
176,  186,  193,  202. 

Amsterdam,  see  Rijks 
Museum. 

Andirons,  47,  208 

Angle  chimneypieces,  127, 
167,  168 

Armorial  charges  on  chim- 
neypieces, 39,  40,  50,  58, 
90,  93,  95.  107,  129 

Artificial  stones,  170 

Arts  Decoratifs,  Mus^e  des, 
Paris,  chimneypieces 
at,  116 

Ashbee,  Mr  C.  R.,  153 

Atlantes  pillar  figures  in 
architecture,  72 

Austrian  ingle-nook,  203 


Aydon  Castle,  early  chim- 
neypieces at,  28 

Azuleijos,  Spanish  Maur- 
esque  decorated  tiles, 
140,  215 

Banks,  Thomas,  designs 
chimneypieces  for  Cos- 
way,  147 

Barlborough,  Derbyshire, 
allegorical  figures  on 
chimneypiece,  94 

Barsall,  Sussex,  carved 
chimneypiece  at,  97 

Benson,  Mr  W.  A.  S.,  152 

Blickling  Hall,  Renaissance 
heraldic  chimneypiece 
at,  107 

Blois,  Chdteau  de,  elaborate 
Renaissance  work  at,  50 

Bognor,  Roman  fireplace 
at,  II 

Bolsover  Castle,  14,  127 

Boothby  Pagnall,  early 
chimneypieces  at,  26 

Bourges,  Jacques  CosuHs 
Palace,  early  Renais- 
sance work  in,  48 

Boxed  marble  chimney* 
pieces,  143 


233 


234 


INDEX 


Brasiers,  or  foculi,  of  the 
ancients,  5  ;  at  West- 
minister School,  27 

Brescia,  carved  stone 
chimneypieces  from,  67 

Brewill,  Mr  A.  W.,  194 

Brick  chimneypieces,  161, 
199 

Brierley,  Mr  W.,  157 

Britton,  John,  on  Queen 
Elizabeth's  chimney- 
piece  at  Windsor 
Castle,  89 

Bruges,  monumental  early 
Renaissance  chimney- 
piece  at  the  Hotel  de 
Ville,  58 ;  figures  on 
chimneypiece  at  Mu- 
seum, 71 

Brussels,  Musde  des  Anti- 
quit^s,  63  ;  recon- 
structed Gothic  chim- 
neypiece at  the  Hotel 
de  Ville,  63 

Buckett,  Rowland,  his 
chimneypiece  at  the 
Charterhouse,  128 

Burgundian  influence  on 
Flemish  work,  41 

Burns,  Mr  Cecil,  161 

Burton  Agnes,  Tudor  work 
at,  loi 

Caffieri's  human  figures, 
82,  117. 

Caminatae,  or  smoke  fun- 
nels, 18 

Campbell,  Colin,  thirty-six 
designs  by,  123 

Canephori  figures,  74 

Canova's  work  at  Ickworth, 
144 

Caryatides,  human  female 
figures  in  architecture, 
72 


Cashel,  primitive  chimney- 
piece at,  21,  24 

Castle  Ashby,  Tudor  work 
at,  loi 

Celtic  fireplaces,  15 

Chambers,  Sir  W.,  on  car- 
yatic  figures,  79 ;  de- 
signs at  the  Soane 
Museum,  134 

Charlton  House,  chimney- 
piece at,  128 

Charterhouse,  chimneypiece 
by  R.  Buckett  at,  128 

Chauffrette,  or  footwarmer,  7 

Chenonceaux,  elaborate 
Renaissance  work  at 
the  Chateau  de,  49 

Cheverny,  Chateau  de, 
carved  oak  chimney- 
piece at,  56 

Chimneys  pictured  in 
'*  Monasticnm  Galli- 
cum,''  27  ;  in  rural  i6th 
century  England,  86 ; 
Tudor,  102  ;  cottage,  206 

"Chinese"  chimneypieces, 
see  "Oriental," 

Chippendale's  Oriental 

chimneypieces,  144, 124 

Clifford's  Tower,  Roman- 
esque work  at,  19 

Clodion  and  chimneypiece 
decoration,  114,  117 

Cluny,  Mus^e  de.  Paris, 
examples  at,  53 

Cobham  Hall  chimneypiece, 
96 

Colour  on  mediaeval  chim- 
neypieces, 35,  39,  43  ; 
in  Renaissance  work, 
48,  113,  118,  124,  129 

Coctilia,  the  charcoal  of  the 
Romans,  6 

Colchester  Castle,  Roman- 
esque work  at,  22 


INDEX 


235 


Combe  Abbey,  Tudor 
chimneypiece  at,  100 

Compton  Wynyates,  chim- 
neys at,  103 

Conisborough     Castle, 

Romanesque  work  at,  19 

Concrete  forchimneypieces, 
172 

Coucy,  Palais  de,  double 
hearthed  fireplace  in 
the  Salle  des  Preuses 
at,  36 

Courtrai,  figures  on  chimney- 
piece  at  the  Hotel  de 
Ville,  61 

Couvre-feu,  15 

Cross,  St.,  Hospital  of,  fire- 
place and  chimney  at,  37 

Dance,  neo-classic  work  at 
the  Mansion  House, 
London,  133 

Dawber,  Mr  E.  G.,  158,  189 

Delorme,  Philibert,  work  at 
the  Ch&teau  d'Anet,  54 

Dijon,  monumental  Gothic 
chimneypiece  in  the 
Salle  des  Gardes  in  the 
Palace  of  the  Dukes  of 
Burgundy  at,  40 

Dorchester  House,  chimney- 
piece by  Alfred  Stevens 
at,  78,  148 

Durham,  old  Convent 
kitchen  fireplaces,  37 

Elkington,  Mr  E,  W.,  on 

savages'  fireplaces,  12 
Elizabethan,  see  "Tudor." 

Field,  Mr  H.,  159 

Firebacks  and  firedogs,  209 

Flanders,    primitive     chim- 

pieces  at,  24,  41  ;  early 

Renaissance,   57  ;    col- 


oured     marble     from 

Antwerp,    63 ;    human 

figure    ornaments,   70  ; 

stone  and  oak,  118 
Florentine  sandstone  chim- 

neypieces,  39,  43,  66 
Foculi,  or  brasiers,  of  the 

ancients,  5 
Fontainebleau,       chimney- 

pieoe  at,  56 
Fornacelli,  65 

Fomello  of  Modem  Italy,  11 
Forsyth,  Mr  W.  A.,  197 


German  Stoves,  222 

Ghent,  figures  on  chimney- 
piece in  the  Hotel  de 
Ville,  71 

Gibbons,  Grin  ling,  cherubs 
on  chimneypiece,  82  ; 
chimneypiece  decora- 
tion, 114,  119;  work  at 
Houghton,  123 

Glamis  Castle,  Tudor  work 
at,  96 

Gothic  conical  hoods,  36  ; 
square  hoods,  46  ; 
Italian  work, 64  ;  Tudor, 
85,  90;  modem,  153, 
144,  224 

Gouthi^re,  bis  metal  work 
on  chimneypieces,  1 14 

Greek  fireplaces,  i 


H  ADDON  Hall,  armorial 
chimneypiece  at,  95 

Hampton  Court  Palace, 
kitchen  fireplaces  at,  92; 
chimneypieces  at.  102  ; 
designs  for  chimney- 
pieces attributed  to 
Gibbons,  120 ;  angle 
chimneypieces,  127 


236 


INDEX 


Harrison    on    chimneys   in 
England     during     the 
early  i6th  century,  86 
Haslam,  Mr  R.  H.,  191 
Hatfield    House,    Jacobean 

chimneypieces  at,  105 
Hearths,  46 
Henry  IV.'s  hunting-box  at 

Alengon,  48 
Hermae  statues,  Ti 
Hohlwein,  Herr  L.,  203 
Holland      House,     Renais- 
sance      chimneypieces 
at,  107 
Hood,  Gothic,  36,  46 
Horder,  Mr  P.  M.,  192 
Horsley,  Mr  G.  C,  151,  158 
Houghton,  Kent's  work  at, 

122 
Hypocausta  of  the  Romans,  7 

Incrusted  work  on  chim- 
neypieces, Gothic,  45  ; 
inlay  of  coloured  mar- 
ble, by  Canova,  145  ;  at 
Strawberry  Hill,  145  ; 
at  Eaton  Hall,  146 

"Indian"  chimneypieces, 
see  "  Oriental." 

Italian  chimneypieces,  64  ; 
Renaissance,  113;  in- 
crusted  work,  146 

Iron,  moulded,  chimney- 
pieces, 179 

Jacobean  style,  131 

Jew's       House,       Lincoln, 

chimneys  at,  26 
Joggling,  21,  24,  196 
Jones,    Inigo,    designs    for 

ch  i  mn  eypieces,;  no,  118, 

132 
Jones,  Mr  J.  A.,  153 
Jones,  Owen,  215 


Kampen,    large     chimney- 
piece  at,  by  Colyn  van 
Cameryck,  60 
Kennard,  Mr  H.,  154 
Kensington  Palace,  Kent's 

work  at,  122 
Kent,  William,  121,  132 
Klauder,  Mr  C.  K.,  170,  193 


Lallemand,   Hugues,  and 
Renaissance  at  Troyes, 

53 
Lead    Inlay    on    hearth    at 

Lacock  Abbey,  47 
Le  Pautre  on  chimneypieces 

at     the     Chateau     de 

Madrid,  116 
Ligna  cocta,  or  charcoal  of 

the  Latins,  6 
Linlithgow  Palace,  threefold 

hearth  at,  36 
Lombardi,  Tullio,  67      , 
Lorimer,  Sir  R.  S.,  168 
Loseley  Hall,  Tudor  chim- 

neypiece  at,  99 


Malines,  Gothic  chimney- 
piece  in  the  Mont  de 
Pi^td  at,  42 

Marquetry,  118 

Mansard,  J.  H.,  work  at 
Troyes,  54  ;  his  archi- 
tectural work,  114 

Marble,  use  of,  54  ;  colour- 
ed, 63  ;  at  Hatfield  and 
Bramshill,  106 ;  Angle- 
sea,  124;  at  Charlton 
House,  128 ;  boxed 
chimneypieces,  143 ; 
coloured  inlay  by  Ca- 
nova, 145 ;  at  Straw- 
berry Hill,  145  ;  at 
Eaton  Hall,  146 


INDEX 


237 


Mauresque  decorative  tiles, 
140 

Meillant,  Chateau  de, 
Gothic  chimneypiece 
at,  41 

Michel,  Mont  St.,  three- 
fold hearth  at,  36 

Milan,  Gothic  work  at,  39, 
64 ;  Renaissance,  65 

Milne,  Mr  O.  P.,  156,  185 

Morphew,  Mr  R.,  188 

Mosaics,  see  "Incrustations" 
and  "  Marble." 

Murray,  Mr  J.,  158 

Nesfield,  Mr  W.  A.,  206 
Newcastle-on-Tyne,     chim- 
neypieces  adorned  with 
Norman  billet,  23 

Open  fireplaces  among 
savages,  12  ;  at  Pens- 
hurst,  17 
"Oriental"  Style,  114,  124 
Oudenarde,  Gothic  work 
at,  42 ;  Renaissance 
work  in  the  Salle  du 
Temple  at  the  Hotel 
de  Ville,  60 

Palladio  on  the  chimney- 
pieces  of  the  Romans, 
2,  II 

Paris,  1 8th  century  chimney- 
piece  from,  114 

Parker,  Mr  Barry,  187,  194, 
197 

Penshurst,  open  fireplace  at, 
17  ;  primitive  chimney- 
piece,  23 

Perkins  and  Bulmer, 
Jacobean  carved  stone 
and  brickwork,  162 


Persian  stoves,  220 

"  Persians,"  human  pillar 
figures  in  architecture, 
72 

Pietra  serena,  66 

Pilon's  chimneypiece  deco- 
rations, 82 

Pinelli's  drawings  of  classic 
legends  of  Meta- 
morphosis, 80 

Piranesi,  125 

Plas  Mawr,  plaster  chimney- 
pieces  at,  98 

Plastered  chimneypieces  at 
Milan,  39  ;  at  Chester 
and  in  Wales,  98 

Plumet,  Mr  C-,  200 

Poitiers,  threefold  hearth  in 
the  Palais  des  Comtes, 
36 

Powell,  Mr  E.  T.,  163,  196 

Princeton  University,  chim- 
neypiece at  the  Ivy 
Club,  186 

Prittlewell,  Gothic  stone 
and  brick  chimneypiece 
from,  yj 

Pugin  on  Tudor  chimney- 
pieces,  90 ;  Gothic 
revival,  144  ;  Gothic 
stove,  224 


Richardson,  G.,  thirty-six 
designs  for  chimney- 
pieces,  124 

Richardson,  C.  J.,  design 
for  "mediaeval"  stove, 
224 

Rijks  Museum,  chimney- 
pieces  at,  117 

Rochester  Castle,  Roman- 
esque chimneypieces 
at,  19,  22 


238 


INDEX 


Roman  fireplaces  at  Baiae 
and  Civita  Vecchia,  2  ; 
at  Bognor,  ii 

Rose,  Mr  A.  W.,  165,  200 

Rumford,  Count,  217 

Russian  stoves,  221 


Samson,  Mr  G.  G.  192 
Savona,  slate  chimneypiece 

from,  68 
Scott,  Mr  H.  Baillie,  197 
Shaw,  H.,  on  Renaissance 
chimneypiece    at    Yar- 
mouth, 100 
Shaw,  Mr  L.,  171 
Simmonds,  Mr  E.,  159 
Spanish  Mauresque  style  of 

chimneypiece,  140 
Speke       Hall,      "storied" 

chimneypiece  at,  94 
Soane  Museum,  original 
designs  of  chimney- 
pieces  attributed  to 
Grinling  Gibbons,  120 ; 
of  Robert  Adam.  135  ; 
of  Sir    W.    Chambers, 

S6ane,  Sir  John,  chimney- 
pieces,  137 

Stevens,  Alfred,  Dorchester 
House  chimneypiece, 
78,  148  ;  stove  by,  224 

Stokesay,  early  Gothic 
chimneypiece  at,  29 

Stone,  carved  chimneypieces 
in,  1 6th  century  and 
early  Tudor  work,  88  ; 
artificial,  170 

Stoves,  early  forms,  13 

Sussex  iron  fire-backs  and 
firedogs,  209 

Sutcliffe,  Mr  G.  G.,  194, 199 


Tattershall  Castle,  chim- 
neypieces at,  40 

Teale,  Dr  Pridgin,  217 

Telamones,  human  pillar 
figures  in  architecture, 
72 

Termini,  73 ;  in  Tudor 
period,  81 

Terra  cotta,  173,  177 

Tiles,  introduced  into  Eng- 
land by  Dutch,  47  ; 
raised  decorations  on, 
63  ;  azuleijos,  140  ;  en- 
caustic, 178,  214 

Thomas,  John,  sculpture 
on  fireplace,  143 

Troyes,  Hotel  de  Ville  at, 

Tudor  Period,  use  of  ter- 
mini and  other  human 
figures,  81  ;  origin  of 
the  style,  84  :  influenced 
by  the  Renaissance,  87  ; 
scrollwork  on  classic 
background,  122  ;  mod- 
ern, 151,  154 

Turkish  fireplace  at  Victoria 
and  Albert  Museum, 
i4i  ;  at  Keresoun,  142 

Unwin,  Mr  R  ,  187, 196, 197 

Versailles,  Palace  of, 
figures  on  chimney- 
pieces  at,  78,  117 

Victoria  and  Albert  Mu- 
seum, chimneypieces 
at,  37,  48,  58,  63,  64, 
102,  106,  130,  141,  148 

Vitruvius  on  the  destructive 
effects  of  smoke,  3  ;  on 
the  origin  of  Caryatides 
and  "  Persian "  figures 
in  architecture,  72 


INDEX 


239 


Ware,   Isaac,  on    caryatic 
figures,  76  ;  suggestion 
for  wind  indicator,  123  : 
use  of  coloured  marbles, 
124,  132 
Warren,  Mr  E.  P.,  157 
Watson,  Mr  T.  L.,  155 
Weston  Hall,  Tudor  work 

at,  93 
Windsor    Castle,    chimney- 
pieces  at,  89 
Winkelmann  on  hypocausta 
of  Herculaneum,  8,  18 


Wood,  carved  chimney- 
pieces  in  late  Gothic, 
45 ;  in  the  Tudor  period, 
88  ;  later  Renaissance 
in  England,  119 

Wren,  Sir  Christopher  and 
chimneypiece  design, 
114,  118,  132 

Wroxhall  Manor  House, 
Renaissance  chimney- 
piece  with  allegorical 
figures  at,  99 

Wyatt,  Digby,  as  fireplace 
designer,  140,  215 


Printed  by  A.  M.  Cowan  &  Co.   Ltd.,   Pertk 


